Two Ugandan NGOs’ Bank accounts frozen over suspected terrorism financing

The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) has frozen bank accounts of two Non-government Organizations (NGOs), Uganda NGO Forum and Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), after intelligence reports claimed the two were funding terrorism activities.

On December 10, FIA executive director Sydney Asubo wrote to director of public prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo informing her of the decision to freeze the accounts and “to bring this matter to your attention for further management.”

Asubo revealed that FIA had “received intelligence from one of the security agencies” indicating that the two NGOs were engaged in terrorism financing activities.

He relied on these intelligence reports to invoke section 17(a)1 of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Act of 2015 to freeze the accounts.

Uganda NGO Forum’s frozen accounts were in Stanbic Bank, Absa Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and KCB.

Those of UWONET were in Stanbic Bank.