Co-op cash: Ssali, Mawanda await appellate court ruling

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The hearing of a case involving former trade ministry permanent secretary, Geraldine Ssali, and her co-accused, who are battling corruption charges related to a sh3.8b co-operative funding scheme, has been adjourned pending a decision from the Court of Appeal.

When the case resumed on Monday, February 10, 2025, Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga from the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court adjourned the case to March 31, 2025, for mention.

The adjournment is awaiting the Appellate Court's decision on an application filed by Busiki County MP, Paul Akamba, challenging his trial at the Anti-Corruption Court.

Akamba’s petition has halted the hearing of the case, in which he, Ssali and others are accused of corruption charges related to sh3.8b meant for Buyaka Growers Co-operative Society Ltd.

Others are lawyer Julius Kirya and MPs: Michael Mawanda Muranga (Igara East), Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudiimi (Elgon County) and Leonard Kavundira (the principal co-operative officer at the trade ministry).

Allegations

The prosecution alleges that Ssali, during the financial year 2021/2022, in abuse of her authority, irregularly introduced Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society among the cooperatives to be compensated for the war loss by the Government, which was not listed on the request for the supplementary budget dated August 4, 2021.

According to the prosecution, the arbitrary act is prejudicial to her employer (trade ministry).

It is further alleged that Ssali, during the financial year 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, made payments to Kirya and Company Advocates amounting to sh3.8b meant for Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society in contravention of the treasury instructions of 2017.

The prosecution added that she did this knowing or having reason to believe that such an act will cause financial loss to the Government.

It is alleged that Ssali, together with the five accused persons and others still at large, between 2019 and 2023, conspired to defraud the Government of sh3.4b, which was intended for war loss compensation meant for Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society.

Court documents indicate that during the liberation war of 1981 to 1986 and the insurgencies that prevailed in some parts of the country, some co-operatives operations and assets were adversely affected, prompting the cooperative unions to seek compensation from the Government.