By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The State House Anti Corruption Unit, together with Criminal Investigations Directorate have arrested the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade, Industries and Cooperatives, Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa.
According to the SHACU, Ssali is expected to take plea tomorrow on Charges of Conspiracy to Defraud and Causing Financial Loss.
Ssali now joins MPs; Michael Mawanda Maranga, Mudiimi Wamakuyu, Paul Akamba, Lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankonko and Leonard Kavundira, a Ministry of Trade official who were earlier charged for the diversion of over UGX3.4B intended for government compensation of war losses to the Buyaka Producers Cooperative Society for their personal use.
The suspects are alleged to have diverted funds in violation of Articles 6 and 26 of the Anti-Corruption Law of 2009, as amended. They are also accused of conspiring to defraud these funds, contravening Article 309 of the Penal Code Act, Chapter 120, for which they are charged.
Their arrests follow Parliament investigations, ordered by Speaker Anita Among on August 25, 2023, which implicated Ssali in fraudulent payments totaling 48.77 billion Shillings. These payments, made between FY 2019/2020 and 2022/2023, were either in excess or entirely outside the amounts allocated to specific Cooperatives in the Ministry’s work plan.
The Committee found that Cooperatives, including Lambuli Central Pulpery Cooperative Society (4.70 billion), Jinja Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd (4.8 billion), Buyaka Cooperative Society (3.5 billion), Masaaba Cooperative Union (5 billion), Bumwambu Cooperative Society Ltd (6 billion), Masaka Cooperative Union (7 billion), and Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union Ltd (2.75 billion), were illegally paid.
The Committee also recommended that Ssali be investigated by the DPP with a view to prosecution under Section 79 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2015, for unlawfully authorizing a 1.74 billion Shillings payment to Okoro Coffee Growers Cooperative Union Limited in Zombo before its verification.
Apart from Ssali, the other suspects have been on remand in Luzira Prison as the state continues its investigations, while additional suspects remain at large.
