Ssemakula returns to court Monday in BoU sh60b heist case

________________

The case in which nine finance ministry officials, including interdicted Accountant General Lawrence Ssemakula, resumes on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero, Kampala.

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.

The case is being handled by Chief Magistrate Racheal Nakyazze. Chief state attorney Richard Birivumbuka is prosecuting, while lawyer Mwesigwa Rukutana is defending the accused.

At the last session on September 22, Nakyazze directed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to expedite investigations. The directive followed a complaint from Rukutana about delays in the process.

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 sh23.9b) 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 (sh22.5b) to an unauthorised payee, Roadway Company Limited.

Yawe is accused of altering payment instructions for sh22.5b that was supposed to go to the International Development Association (IDA) for principal and interest. He allegedly substituted the intended payee with Roadway Company Limited, 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 (sh1.4b), 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 (sh24.5b).

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 (sh31.5b) 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 sh2b upon conviction.