KAMPALA: Ministry of Trade Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa has been charged before the Anti-Corruption Court and remanded to Luzira Prison. The charges include abuse of office, causing financial loss to the government, and conspiring with three MPs, a lawyer, and a ministry official to defraud the government of over 3.6 billion shillings meant to compensate war loss victims in cooperative unions.
Ssali was initially presented to court on Thursday, but Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro ordered her return to police custody until Friday. The court accepted amendments by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which introduced Ssali as the sixth suspect and added new charges, including money laundering—a charge triable only by the High Court.
Ssali appeared in court alongside MPs Michael Mawanda, Ignatius Wamakuyu, and Paul Akamba, lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankonko, and Leonard Kavundira, a principal cooperative officer. The group has been on remand for a month on charges of diverting public resources and conspiracy to defraud. The new charges, including money laundering, mean that bail applications must now be made to the High Court.
Prosecution alleges that during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 financial years, while serving as the accounting officer for the Ministry of Trade, Ssali irregularly introduced Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Ltd. for government compensation, despite it not being listed in the August 2021 supplementary budget. She is accused of making irregular payments amounting to 3.87 billion shillings to Kirya and Company Advocates, which was in violation of Treasury instructions.
Furthermore, Ssali and her co-accused are alleged to have conspired to defraud the government of 3.4 billion shillings intended for Buyaka Growers Co-operative Society. The introduction of new charges necessitates that MPs Mawanda, Akamba, and Wamakuyu, lawyer Taitankonko, and Kavundira be read the charges afresh.
Chief State Attorney Edward Muhumuza informed the court that inquiries are complete and has been instructed to transfer the six suspects to the Anti-Corruption High Court for trial. Muhumuza presented committal papers summarizing the evidence, including details about MP Mawanda’s connection with Kirya and Company Advocates and MPs Akamba and Wamakuyu’s roles in approving cooperative compensation.
