Cooperatives’ money: Trade ministry PS Geraldine Ssali arraigned in Anti-Corruption Court

KAMPALA, July 18, 2024: Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa, the Permanent Secretary [PS] in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives [MTIC] has been brought to the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala after her arrest on Thursday. She faces charges of abuse of office, causing financial loss to government, and conspiracy to defraud.

According to a parliamentary report authored by the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry, Ssali is one of the key people who masterminded the misappropriation of Shs 142 billion meant to compensate cooperatives in the country for the war losses.

For instance, Ssali influenced the payment of Shs 1,744,520,000 to Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union Limited for the war loss before even confirming its registration and verification.

However, of the money that the Union was paid, Shs 436 million was given to her husband Victor Busuulwa as a “token of appreciation to the PS”. The Union went further and gave Busuulwa a loan of Shs 150mln deposited on his account in Centenary Bank while another Shs 350MLn was given to him in cash after being withdrawn from a third party’s bank account.

According to the report, Geraldine’s husband received a total of Shs 936mln as “a token of appreciation to her” for paying the Union money, although the MPs in their report say this was a “kickback”.

Her husband further received another Shs 150mln in cash, making a total of 1.086 billion.

According to the parliamentary report, Ssali used her position as MTIC PS to influence payment Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union Limited, which she said was attached to her grandfather.

Ssali is accused of disbanding the Inter-Ministerial Verification Committee established by Cabinet and established her own based in MTIC, and it is the latter that caused the mess in the compensation of cooperatives across the country.

Geraldine’s arrest follows the arrest Members of Parliament, Mawanda Micheal Maranga of Igara East Constituency in Bushenyi district, Wamakuyu Ignatius Mudimi of Elgon County in Bulambuli district, Akamba Paul of Busiki County in Namutumba district, and lawyer Kirya Julius of Kirya Company Advocates who were also arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of diversion of funds and Conspiracy to defraud. The accused conspired and diverted over Shs 3.4bln meant for war loss compensation by government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society for their personal use. They are yet to get bail.

She also follows her junior Leonard Kavundira, the Principal Cooperatives Officer in MTIC who arraigned before the same court. The charges against him include conspiracy to defraud the government of Uganda. Kavundira is accused of conspiring with the MPs to divert over Shs 3.4bln. He is also still behind bars.

More people including former MPs cited in the report for misappropriation of money belonging to various cooperatives are yet to be apprehended. For example, East Acholi Cooperative Union received Shs 1bln in war compensation.

However, most of the above funds were taken by illegible people. Law firm Odonga Otto & Co. Advocates, imposed on the Union just because it belongs to former MP Aruu County Samuel Odonga Otto, took Shs 300mln, Shs 100mln was taken by the late Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, while Shs 130mln was taken by another individual.  Shs 60mln is said to have gone to the Ministry Finance team. This left the union with only Shs 410mln.

Meanwhile, President Yoweri Museveni days ago discouraged the judiciary to desist from granting bail to those accused of corruption.

https://thecooperator.news/the-week-that-was-mps-humbled-for-stealing-from-the-poor/

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