Court Adjourns Shs3.8b Ssali Case as Constitutional Court Petition Stalls Trial

By Asante Times Admin

Kampala: The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has adjourned proceedings in the Shs3.8 billion corruption case involving former Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali and other co-accused, pending a ruling from the Constitutional Court.

Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga on Tuesday ruled that the trial cannot proceed until the Constitutional Court disposes of a constitutional petition challenging the legality of the ongoing prosecution.

The petition was filed by Busiki County MP Paul Akamba, one of the accused persons, who argues that his arrest and detention were unconstitutional. Akamba is seeking to have the charges against him dropped on grounds of alleged violation of his rights and unlawful treatment by security agencies.

Ms Ssali and her co-accused are facing charges of abuse of office, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to government arising from the alleged mismanagement of Shs3.8 billion meant for compensation of Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society.

Prosecution alleges that between 2021 and 2023, the accused persons irregularly facilitated the cooperative’s inclusion on the list of beneficiaries for war-loss compensation. The funds are said to have been processed through Kirya and Company Advocates in breach of Treasury procedures.

The court noted that similar constitutional objections had previously halted the proceedings, and that the current petition raises issues that must be resolved before the criminal trial can continue.

Justice Kajuga maintained the existing bail conditions for all accused persons and adjourned the matter to May, awaiting guidance from the Constitutional Court.

The case remains among Uganda’s closely watched corruption trials, with its progress now dependent on the outcome of the constitutional petition that could determine whether the trial proceeds or collapses.