Uganda Boxing Federation president Moses Muhangi has been arrested and detained by the Uganda Police at the Central Police station in Kampala.
The arrest comes as part of an ongoing accountability investigation into the federation, raising concerns about potential financial irregularities and mismanagement within the governing body of the sport.
While sources close to Muhangi claim that the arrest is not part of an ongoing accountability investigation into the federation, but rather crimes that are yet to be fully detailed to the public.
Muhangi appeared before the Parliament Accounting committee on Monday, to answer concerns raised by a report from the auditor general over financial reports of the federation that delivered several unaccounted funds.
Muhangi together with UBF’s former accountant, Lydia Namuleme were then forwarded to Police CID for further management on allegations of forgery, uttering false documents and misappropriation.
He is said to have appeared before the CID in Kibuli on Monday afternoon, and recorded statements over the audit queries before he was allowed to leave.
But he was called back into CID today, where he was presented with fresh charges preferred against him, which ensured that he had to be detained.
According to his close aides, Muhangi had been given police bond which was to last 48 hours after he recorded the statement, but was called back, with CID officers informing him that he had to be detained ‘over pressure from elsewhere’.
Muhangi becomes the second federation president to be arrested in 24 hours, after Uganda Netball Federation president Sarah Babirye Kityo was also arrested and remanded to Luzira.
Kityo was accused of obtaining money under false pretense, after complainants said they gave her up to UGX 16 million for a trip to USA.
While appearing on NBS Sport’s Press Box, Muhangi clarified on the audit claims laid against him, referring to them as a witch hunt against his character
“According to whoever is driving the query, they said that the team we took to Tanzania was fully paid for by the government of Tanzania,” he explained.
“But the invitation was clear, and they had catered for only nine team members. So, we travelled with 16 people, myself inclusive, so, we had to cater for the other seven people. But NCS reported to PAC that all the 16 had been catered for.”
“And when I presented this to the CID, they asked why the query was forwarded since it was self-explanatory from the letters we had, and that was disposed,” he explained.
“The second query was about a catering service. I explained that we hired for catering to a tune of UGX 5.4 million, when NCS raised the query to us, we traced the provider and today he was with him in parliament to confirm the transaction.”
“So, when we were sent to CID, we presented him and he owned up to everything. The final query was about the person who supplied tents for about UGX 3.5 million shillings.”
“But this was a transaction of almost three years ago, and we had requested for time to trace the provider because a lot has changed, but council insisted that it was a forged receipt and a poor accounting record,” he stated.
“And that is why I insist that there is an element of witch hunt because why are these issues coming up now, after we have raised our concerns with the running of the national council.”
NCS Board Chairperson, Ambrose Tashobya, told the PAC committee on Monday, 15 May 2023, that some sports federations have adamantly refused to submit accountability reports to the council as required by the law.
