Interdicted Accountant General Ssemakula returns to court in BoU sh60b heist

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The case in which nine finance ministry officials, including interdicted Accountant General Lawrence Ssemakula, resumes Thursday, November 20, 2025, at the Nakasero-based court in Kampala.

In the last session (September 22), chief magistrate Racheal Nakyazze gave the prosecution last chance to conclude investigations or she would send the case to the High Court, which has jurisdiction to handle the case, for dismissal.

“Given that certain charges fall under the High Court’s jurisdiction, I give the prosecution a final opportunity to conclude their investigations. Should they fail to do so, I will refer the case to a judge to determine whether dismissal is warranted,” Nakyazze warned.

The chief magistrate noted that the allocated six-month investigation period had expired. The magistrate adjourned the matter to November 20, 2025.

Nakyazze issued the warning after the defence lawyers, led by Mwesigwa Rukutana, complained of prolonged investigations and requested for the dismissal of the case for want of prosecution.

Ssemakula, 58, faces charges of corruption, causing financial loss, money laundering and electronic fraud together with Jennifer Muhuruzi, 55 (commissioner treasury services); Pedson Twesigomwe, 45 (assistant commissioner accounts); Tony Yawe, 46 (senior IT officer); Paul Nkalubo Lumala, 40 (IT systems officer); and Deborah Dorothy Kusiima, 33 (senior accountant).

Others are Judith Ashaba, 43 (accountant); Bettina Nayebare, 31 (research assistant accountant); and Mark Kasiiku, 33 (IT specialist). Ssemakula, Muhuruzi, Twesigomwe, Lumala, Kusiima and Ashaba are currently out on bail.

Allegations

Prosecution alleges that between January and October 2024, at the finance ministry on Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road, Kampala, Ssemakula and Muhuruzi neglected to put in place effective systems to safeguard public funds, resulting in a financial loss of $6,525,852 (about shillings 23.9 billion) to the Government.

It is further alleged that Twesigomwe, Kusiima and Lumala, between September 9 and 11, 2024, at the ministry headquarters, participated in concealing an irregular payment of $6,134,137 (shillings 22.5billion) to an unauthorised payee, Roadway Company Ltd.

Yawe is accused of altering payment instructions for shillings 22.5 billion that was supposed to go to the International Development Association (IDA) for principal and interest. He allegedly substituted the intended payee with Roadway Company Ltd, purporting it was for a recycling plant and machinery, for illicit benefit.

Prosecution further alleges that between September 20 and October 1, 2024, at the ministry offices, Kasiiku manipulated payment instruction files worth $391,720 (shillings 1.4 billion), diverting the funds from IDA to MJS International London, a company not entitled to the payment.

Yawe is also accused of, in January 2024, deliberately manipulating the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) by altering payment details from IDA Washington, the intended payee, to an unintended payee, International Development Association Sielska, Poznan, Poland, in respect of $6,674,320 (shillings 24.5 billion).

According to prosecution, Yawe abused his office authority by committing an arbitrary act prejudicial to Government interests.

Kasiiku is separately accused of introducing executable scripts on the IFMS Oracle programme, which allegedly resulted in the unauthorised payment of $8,596,824 (shillings 31.5 billion) to MJS International London between September 23 and 27, 2024.

In addition, Yawe, Twesigomwe, Kusiima, Nayebare, Lumala and Kasiiku face charges of money laundering, contrary to sections 3 (b), 116 and 136 (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The offence carries a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding shillings two billion upon conviction.