During a parliamentary session on Thursday, November 28, State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi revealed that investigations are ongoing , led by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Auditor General.

"It is true our accounts were hacked into, but not to the extent of what is being reported. An audit and investigation are in their final stages," remarked Mr Musasizi. "To avoid misrepresentation of facts, I wish to indulge the House that we be patient that when the audit is finalised, which is now at the tail-end, I come and report."

According to the state-run New Vision newspaper, a hacking group identified as "Waste" has been linked to this cybercrime, which reportedly originated in Southeast Asia. Allegations suggest that portions of the illicitly acquired funds may have been wired to Japan.

The Bank of Uganda released a statement indicating it was "awaiting a police report" concerning the hacking incident, neither confirming nor denying the breach, while also noting that more than half of the funds have been recovered.

Despite the recovery efforts, sources cited by Uganda’s leading independent newspaper, Daily Monitor, imply that internal collusion within the central bank may have facilitated the cyber attack. In light of these developments, President Yoweri Museveni has mandated a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.

Uganda has faced numerous cyber thefts targeting banks and financial service providers, including telecom companies. Despite this, police officials report that some banks are reluctant to publicly disclose these incidents, fearing it might drive away customers.

"We have taken note of the report, but the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has not linked the hack to China," Mao said in a statement.

She added that such accusations are part of repeated efforts to "sow discord" between China and countries in the region. Mao emphasised that the South Pacific is not "any country's backyard" and urged all parties to respect the right of South Pacific nations to form balanced relationships with global powers.

The Pacific Islands Forum, consisting of 18 member nations, has become a focal point of geopolitical competition between China and the United States.

The recent summit, held in Tonga, was dominated by the growing rivalry between the two countries, as both vie for influence in the region.

All the concerns related to cybersecurity raised by politicians are currently under scrutiny by government officials.

As of now, there has been no immediate response from Apple regarding the investigation.

Earlier this week, Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to hack the mobile phones of opposition politicians. This accusation came after some lawmakers shared screenshots on social media displaying notifications from Apple, which stated, "Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID."

A senior minister from the Modi government also reported receiving a similar notification on his phone.

Apple clarified that it did not attribute the threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker. They added that it's possible that some of these notifications might be false alarms or that certain attacks might go undetected.

In 2021, India was embroiled in controversy when reports emerged that the government had employed Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to surveil numerous journalists, activists, and politicians, including Rahul Gandhi. However, the government refrained from responding to inquiries regarding the purchase of Pegasus spyware for surveillance by India or its state agencies.