Geraldine Ssali granted bail

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Anti-Corruption Court has granted Former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Cooperatives Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa a cash bail of 35 million shillings.

Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on Friday afternoon granted Geraldine Ssali bail after finding that her sureties were substantial with a good provisional balance of money in their bank accounts.

Kajuga said  Geraldine Ssali has been friends with some of her sureties for more than ten years and that others are gainfully employed and therefore cannot put them in trouble by absconding from the trial given the strong ties and also blood ties.

The sureties included her longtime friends and siblings.

Her Maternal uncle  Joachim Kiwanuka a retired civil servant and farmer with property ownership, her Biological brother Gerald Ssali, a Senior Manager at KPMG Certified Public Accountants, her sister Agnes Nantongo, Legal Director and Company Secretary at Uganda Breweries and an Advocate of the High Court.

Others include her  Long-time friend Dr.  Teopista Ntale Ssekito, a Member of Kampala District Land Board, and Ssebina Ssekitoleko Ronald of Hill Top Group of Companies.

Ssali’s sureties were each bonded at 50 million shillings not cash.

The Court ruled that there was no evidence that Geraldine Ssali would interfere with investigations as alleged by the Prosecutors in the affidavit of Police Officer Ngobi Sowadi that she blocked officers from accessing the ministry while still in office. She said it would be dangerous to act on unsubstantiated claims.

Kajuga added that it would be unjust to keep Geraldine Ssali in prison on remand to let the state commence the process of asset recovery because they haven’t proved during the time she was on remand that they have started on the process.

She has directed that Geraldine Ssali deposit her Passport with the Court such that she doesn’t travel out of the Country without the Court’s permission.

Relatedly, shortly after handling Geraldine Ssali’s application Justice Kajuga also pronounced herself on the bail application for the Principal Cooperative Officer in the Ministry of Trade Leonard Kavundira.

Kavundira’s application was the last of three applications made by the group of six accused persons.

He has been directed to deposit a land title for his home with the Deputy Registrar of the Anti-Corruption Court as well as his passport. He has been ordered not to travel outside the country unless permitted by the Court.

Three of his four sureties are substantial. One of his sureties was disqualified because of age gaps. The Judge explained that Kavundira was 60 years old and therefore his surety who was aged 38 years was too young to compel him to return to Court for trial.

All the six accused persons in this case including MPs Paul Akamba, Michael Mawanda, Mudimi Wamakuyu, Lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankonko and Geraldine Ssali, and Kavundira himself will return to Court on October 23rd, 2024 for a Pretrial hearing.

They were jointly charged with three others who are already granted bail in charges of corruption and conspiracy to defraud Buyaka Growers Cooperatives Society Limited of more than 3.4 billion shillings that were for war loss compensation.

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