Trade PS Ssali faces cooperatives corruption charges today

The prosecution that had intended to amend the charges to slap a few more on the head of Ms Ssali, told Magistrate Aciro that the PS would instead be in the dreaded dock tomorrow (Friday).

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Ms Geraldine Ssali is expected to be formally charged with several counts of corruption-related charges.

Ms Ssali's proverbial line lives jumped straight from the line detectives who grilled her for hours had placed her on into the Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday.

Trade, Industry and Cooperatives ministry accounting officer Ssali has walked on thin ice with so much ease she looked like she was sashaying in stilettos.

She has weathered all sorts of storms, storms that could have decimated many a macho man.

But it is cooperative with a name 45.89 million Ugandans would never have known existed, let alone pronounce with ease, that has turned into a noose threatening to put Ms Ssali down.

Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union it is. Just for emphasis, Bwavumpologoma.

Ms Ssali was on Thursday arraigned before Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro to face charges of abuse of office, causing financial loss, and conspiracy to defraud.

But her arraignment in the Nakawa-based court was delayed as detectives in Kibuli were still squeezing every juice from her statements.

The prosecution that had intended to amend the charges to slap a few more on the head of Ms Ssali, told Magistrate Aciro that the PS would instead be in the dreaded dock tomorrow (Friday).

Ms Ssali was subsequently taken to Kira Division Police where a semblance of a VIP cell is her home for at least 24 hours.

The Trade ministry accounting officer is answering for a debilitating circle of corruption in which officials dug deeper and deeper into war loss compensation paid to cooperative unions.

According to the charge sheet sanctioned by DPP Jane Frances Abodo, Ms Ssali irregularly introduced Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Ltd among the cooperatives to be compensated for war loss yet it was not listed among those to benefit in the supplementary budget dated August 4, -2021.

How Ssali fell into hot soup

On August 25, 2023, Speaker Anita Among directed the Sectoral Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry to conduct an inquiry into the status, governance, resourcing and value for money for public funds allocated to Cooperatives during the Financial Year 2022/23.

A report from the Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry's investigation into the financial dealings of cooperatives revealed a pattern of mismanagement and alleged fraudulent activities involving significant sums of money.

The report detailed instances of unauthorised transactions, unaccounted funds, and dubious legal representations, raising serious questions about the integrity and governance within these cooperative societies.

But that report was kept quiet, until President Museveni shook the mangoes trees to see what rotten fruits fell to the ground.

Among the mango fruits that had suspected molds allover and stunk of diversion of public resources, according to the DPP charge, were Igara East MP Micheal Mawanda, Paul Akamba of Busiki County, and Elgon County legislator Ignatias Mudimi Wamakunyu.

Ms Ssali, too, was like that mango that fell with a pwaat sound.

The three legislators and PS Ssali are jointly charged with Mr Julius Kirya, managing partner at Kirya and Company Advocates, and Mr Leonard Kavundira, the principal cooperative officer at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

Ms Ssali's woes with Buyaka Growers Cooperative is one thing but a glimpse into the parliamentary report into the rot had more.

On November 25, 2021, just three months after Ms Ssali started work as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Bwavumpologoma was paid Shs1.7bn - before it was re-registered and verified.

The cooperative would receive more monies, with the excess of Shs2bn looking good except that someone called Victor Busuulwa kept receiving millions of shillings from the same Bwavumpologoma "token of appreciation".

Busuulwa is the  husband of Geraldine, a "clever" man reports show would avoid receiving cash in person or signing for it, instead having a third party do so.

Some of the monies would be deposited on his bank accounts by officials from Bwavumpologoma, the probe report shows.

Appearing before the committee, Ms Ssali defended her direct involvement in prioritising certain cooperatives, such as Bwavumpologoma, after concerns of vested interests were raised.

"Bwavumpologoma's inclusion was personal," she told the MPs. "The cooperative, founded by my grandfather, lost significant assets during the war. I felt it necessary to ensure their claims were addressed."

The detail of what really went wrong will soon be made public when the prosecution of Ms Ssali takes off. And it is a long, long walk for Geraldine Ssali.