Uganda accidentally sends US$500,000 to embassy in China

Uganda’s finance ministry has requested the return of a large sum of money “erroneously” sent to its embassy in China.

Cabinet had approved the transfer of US$61,000 to help Ugandan students still in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

However, they “accidently” sent 10 times that amount after the education ministry requested US$600,000.

This appeared to be confirmed when Alex Kakooza, the Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary, said the amount requested by the ministry and approved by cabinet was actually US$600,000.

An official at the ministry told the Daily Monitor newspaper the money had been approved before it was sent.

The Ministry of Finance rebutted this, saying a much smaller amount was originally approved, and has since requested US$538,200 be paid back.

Photos of the finance ministry’s letter have been widely shared online, with one social media user questioning whether people should “assume such ‘mistakes’ happen often and people get away with it?”

Photo: The Observer