KAMPALA- 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.
Sali together with other five are being accused of the same 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.
