By our Reporter
Trade Ministry PS Ms. Geraldine Ssali yesterday was sent to Luzira on remand after being slapped with three charges in the Anti-corruption court based in Nakasero.
The three charges include Abuse of office, Conspiracy to defraud, and causing financial loss while the other three legislators Hon. Akamba Paul (Mp Busiki County), Hon. Michael Mawanda (MP Igara West), and Hon. Mudimi Wamakuyu (MP Elgon County) who are remand were also slapped with new charges that include receiving stolen property, stealing by agent, money laundering that the three diverted public funds 3.5 billion.
The report
On 13th September 2023, the parliamentary committee of Trade Tourism and Industry headed by Hon Mwine Mpaka (MP Mbarara City South) kickstarted its investigation into an inquiry into the governance of and value for money for budgetary appropriations to cooperatives financial year 2016/2017 and financial year 2022/2023 investigated 28 cooperatives which include Bwavu Mpologoma in Masaka, West Mengo growers cooperative limited, Buwambu cooperative limited, Buyaka cooperative growers limited, Jinja Multipurpose cooperative society limited, Masaka cooperative union limited, Wamala Growers Cooperative union limited, Banyankole Kweterana among others.
The amount of money requested by the cooperatives includes total claims amounting to UGX 620.78 bn out of which UGX 232.92 bn was verified and of the verified amount a total of UGX I47.22 bn has been paid and the outstanding claim is UGX 85.70 bn.
The committee report noted that some of the cooperatives were paid excess money leading to financial loss which is one of the cases that was charged to Ms Geraline Ssali PS Ministry of Trade a case in point in the report reveals that that a total of UGX 48.77 bn worth of compensation paid between Fy 2019/2020 and 2022/23 was either made in excess or Completely outside the amounts allocated to specific Cooperative in the Work plan.
The report also reveals that Cooperatives that were paid under this category of excess money include: Lambuli Central pu1pery Cooperative Society UGX 4.70 bn; Jinja Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. by UCX 4.8bn, Buyaka Cooperative Society by UGX 3.5bn, Masaaba Cooperative Union by UGX 5bn, Bumwambu Cooperative Society Ltd by UGX 6.7bn, Masaka Cooperative Union by UGX 7bn and Bwavumpologoma Growers Cooperative Union Ltd by UGX 2.75b of which the report accused Ssali of using her husband Mr. Victor Busulwa as a conduit to get back this amount.
On how Victor Busulwa a husband to PS Ministry of Trade Geraldine Ssali Received Money from Bwavu Mopologama
Bwavu Mpologoma claimed UGX 101,545,600,000 of which there was no verification from the government and the same government disbursed UGX 1,746,704,525 of which UGX 997,815,475 was not accounted for.
The report of the committee noticed that on 16ft May 2021, Bwavumpologoma deposited on Wilson Kasule Martin’s account UGX 35O million and on the same day he withdrew the same amount, and on the same day Mr. Victor Busuulwa deposited UGX 3OO million oh his account in Centenary Bank Kabalagata Branch and of which both Wilson Kasule and Victor Busulwa hold accounts in Centenary Bank.
Another scenario of Bwavu Mpologoma is that on 8th December 2021, Fr Deus Sekyewo deposited 150mn on Lwanga’s account and Lwanga withdrew UGX 15O million on 9th December 2021 and On 9th December 2012, the same Lwanga Francis deposited 150mn on Victor’s Busuulwa’s account.
On 29th November 2021, Masaka Catholic Dioceses deposited on Mr.Lwanga’s account UGX 847,8O8, OOO and on the date of 30th November 2021 Lwanga withdrew UGX 604,200, OOO, and committee report confirmed that Mr. Lwanga confessed to the committee for having withdrew money and gave it to Mr. Busulwa’s
Hon. Michael Mawanda’s case
The report of the trade committee noted that West Mengo Grower’s Cooperative Union Limited claimed UGX 47,950, O00,000 bn but the government verified 14,861,192,413 bn. But in the process, they were helped by Hon. Micheal Mawanda who wanted to help them to get a lawyer.
In the process, the lawyer requested shs 2bn which the cooperative didn’t have and they agreed verbally that Hon Mawanda should provide it for them to help them finish the process and it will be deducted from 14.8 bn. Out of 14.8bn government disbursed 2bn of which Hon. Mawanda gave the cooperative 50m.
Wamala Growers Cooperative Union Limited in
The committed report shows that a total of 5.45bn to the Wamala cooperative but according to their bank statements and balance sheet only 630,000,000 was received and the balance digest by the ghost.
Wait for Part 2 as we continue to show you how cooperative money meant for locals was shared.
