In a case that has gripped the nation, the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has granted bail to six government officials implicated in a massive 60 billion shilling fraud. The court, presided over by Justice Lawrence Gidudu, released the officials on Monday, setting bail amounts based on the severity of their alleged involvement.
The six individuals granted bail include Lawrence Ssemakula, Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance; Jennifer Muhuruzi, Acting Director of Treasury Services and Asset Management; Paul Nkalubo Lumala, IT Systems Officer; Deborah Dorothy Kusiima, Senior Accountant in the Treasury Services Department; Judith Ashaba, Accountant; and Bettina Nayebare, Research Assistant.
Justice Gidudu set bail amounts ranging from 20 to 30 million shillings for each of the six, accompanied by non-cash bonds for their sureties, ranging from 200 to 300 million shillings. The court further mandated that the accused surrender their land titles and passports, and barred them from accessing their offices. They are also required to report to the Court Registrar starting April 3, 2025.
However, three other officials, Mark Kasiiku, Tonny Yawe, and Pedison Twesigomwe, were denied bail and remanded. Justice Gidudu cited the severity of their alleged roles in the fraud as the reason for denying their applications.
Kasiiku, an IT Systems Officer, faces accusations of deception to secure unlawful gains and concealing a fraudulent payment of 6.1 million dollars to a company in Japan. Yawe, a Senior IT Officer, is accused of altering payment files within the Electronic Funds Management Information System (EFMis), considered a primary actor in the fraud. Justice Gidudu directed both men to reapply for bail with stronger security measures.
Twesigomwe, Assistant Commissioner for Accounts at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, who was charged two weeks prior, did not apply for bail alongside his co-accused and remains in remand.
The prosecution’s case centers on allegations that Ssemakula and Muhuruzi failed to implement necessary safeguards, leading to a loss of 652,588.2 US dollars to the government. Yawe is specifically accused of manipulating payment instruction files from the International Development Association in Washington, diverting funds intended for a legitimate recipient to Roadway Company Ltd in Poland, under the guise of payment for a recycling plant system and machinery, knowing it would cause financial loss to the Ugandan government. Twesigomwe is alleged to have been an accomplice in the corruption scheme, which prosecutors claim was aimed at enriching Roadway Company illicitly.
The court’s decision marks a significant step in the ongoing legal proceedings, as the nation awaits further developments in this high-profile corruption case.