In November, the Internal Security Organisation arrested Andrew Kaggwa, the Chief Executive Officer for Global Cryptocurrencies Limited for fleecing thousands of Ugandans including senior army officers in a fake cryptocurrency scam.
However, according to Francis Harimwomughasho from Newmark Advocates, the group he is representing will write to Museveni to see if they can be assisted in regards to getting back their money.
“They want to petition the president to see if they can be compensated because the matter touches citizens who lost huge sums of money amounting to shs15 billion in a fake cryptocurrency initiative,” Harimwomugasho told journalists on Tuesday at Emerald Hotel in Kampala where the victims had gathered to forge a way forward.
“We need the president to intervene and compensate the people for the money lost without any interest.”
Last year, President Museveni said the government had already formed and inaugurated a national taskforce to advise in the adoption of the blockchain technologies which have become the driving force in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.
“We have inaugurated the National Taskforce on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in April this year, whose work will guide our policy direction in this area we are discussing,” Museveni said in a speech at the 2nd Africa blockchain Conference at Kampala Serena Hotel in July 2019.
However, according to their lawyer, victims of the latest cryptocurrency were duped that the scheme had been given a green light by the president.
He said that Kaggwa approached various pastors whom he convinced that his initiative had been blessed during the 2nd Africa blockchain conference at Serena hotel.
“In the petition, we have asked him (Museveni) to come out clear on the same. We want him to pronounce himself that what he blessed then is now the same initiative like the one in which Global cryptocurrency duped its victims,” the lawyer said.
“He should clear the air on what he meant so that no more people are duped as Global Cryptocurrency did to these 1200 victims.”
Speaking during the meeting, the lawyer warned the victims against claims made by Global Cryptocurrencies Limited CEO, Andrew Kaggwa who is currently in Luzira that he is willing to compensate them if he is released from prison.
“That is a lie by his relatives so as to attract sympathy. If Kaggwa genuinely wants to compensate you, he should do it in writing and can do it while in prison. It doesn’t require him to get out before committing to compensating you. Security personnel asked him to compensate you but he refused to do it while still in ISO custody. How can he now turn around to claim that he is going to do it now,” the lawyer said.
According to the Kampala DISO, Moses Tashobya warned the victims against rumor making rounds that the key suspect gave various security agencies including ISO, Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence(CMI) and Police money so as to kill the case and have him released.
He told them, it would be suicidal for the same security agencies to receive money but go ahead and send Kaggwa to court to battle with charges.
How and why could be ut him behind bars when we ate his money? No one should tarnish the name of our security agencies. We shall keep following the matter to the latter to see that victims get justice.