Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa, PS Ministry of Trade, has been brought to the Anti-Corruption Court after her arrest on Thursday. She faces charges of abuse of office, causing financial loss, and conspiracy to defraud. She is currently in the dock awaiting her plea.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, Ms Geraldine Ssali, has been charged with corruption linked to the misappropriation of Shs164 billion intended for compensating various cooperatives.
Ms Ssali was arrested on Thursday and immediately arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court where she was charged with causing financial loss, abuse of office, and conspiracy to defraud.
She appeared in the dock with MPs Michael Mawanda Maranga, Wamakuyu, Akamba, Lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankonko and Leonard Kavundira, a trade official who is accused of stealing cooperatives’ cash
Ms Ssali is expected to take plea on Friday on Charges of Conspiracy to Defraud and Causing Financial Loss.
Her arrest comes nearly three weeks after she was summoned to appear before the team of detectives at Kibuli over the matter.
A report by the Parliament’s Committee on Trade submitted to the House last year accused Ms Ssali and other top officials of financial impropriety in the management of the compensation funds for cooperatives.
Particularly, the report indicated that Ms Ssali’s husband, Mr Victor Busuulwa, irregularly received some of the money advanced to a cooperative on behalf of his wife.
The committee investigated an August 25 directive by House Speaker Anita Among. The directive was to “conduct an inquiry into the status, governance, resourcing, and value for money for public funds allocated to Cooperatives during the period of Financial Year 2011/12 to 2022/23.”
Ms Ssali, according to the committee, used her position as permanent secretary to influence the payment of Shs1.7 b to Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union Limited.
The committee found that there were several substantial withdrawals from the bank accounts of Bwavumpologoma without corresponding requisitions.
On May 16, 2021, for example, Bwavumpologoma deposited on an account held by Wilson Kasule Martin Shs350m and on the same day he withdrew the same amount. That very day, Shs300m was deposited in Mr Busuulwa’s account in Centenary Bank Kabalagala Branch. Mr Busulwa is Ms Ssali’s husband.
On December 8, 2021, Fr Deus Sekyewo deposited Shs150m on Francis Lwanga’s account and Lwanga withdrew Shs150 million the following day. On December 9, 2021, Lwanga deposited Shs150m on Mr Busuulwa’s account.
Earlier, on November 29, 2021, Masaka Catholic Dioceses deposited Shs847,808,000 to Mr Lwanga’s account. The following day, on November 30, 2021, Mr Lwanga withdrew Shs600,200,000. The committee corroborated the withdrawal with Mr Lwanga’s testimony that he withdrew UGX 446,000,000 and gave it to Mr Busuulwa. The balance, per the committee, is unaccounted for.
“Mr Victor Busuulwa informed the committee that he received money to purchase machinery, and that he needed time to check his records to verify the amount. However, Mr Lwanga Francis informed the committee in response that they have no agreement with Mr Victor Busuulwa to procure machinery,” the report notes.
The committee established that Mr Martin Wilson Kasule and Mr Lwanga who made several withdrawals from the bank account of Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union Limited were not members of the Board or management, but rather agents.
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