Kampala. Former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Ms Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa, could receive a boost in her ongoing court battle following reports that President Museveni has directed intelligence agencies to undertake a fresh review of the circumstances surrounding the compensation scandal that led to her prosecution.
Ms Ssali is currently facing accountability-related charges linked to the alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for compensation claims and cooperative activities. The criminal proceedings stem from investigations into the disbursement of more than Shs160 billion under various compensation programmes and cooperative-related payments during her tenure as the ministry’s accounting officer.
Sources familiar with the matter claim that the President has taken a renewed interest in the case and tasked security and intelligence agencies to establish whether the former permanent secretary was wrongly implicated in the scandal.
Neither State House nor the relevant intelligence agencies had publicly commented on the reported directive by press time.
Ms Ssali served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives from July 2021 until July 2024. Before joining the ministry, she held several senior positions in public service, including serving as Deputy Managing Director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) between 2011 and 2017.
The investigations into the compensation payments attracted significant public attention and culminated in criminal charges against Ms Ssali and other officials.
However, some individuals close to the former permanent secretary have maintained that she was unfairly targeted due to reforms she pursued to strengthen accountability and oversight within the ministry.
According to sources, supporters of Ms Ssali argue that resistance to some of the measures she introduced may have contributed to the circumstances that eventually led to her prosecution.
The sources further claim that several influential political figures have been cited by her supporters as having opposed aspects of her management approach at the ministry. Those mentioned include Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, former Trade Minister Francis Mwebesa, State Minister for Trade David Bahati and former Speaker Anita Among.
The leaders named have not publicly responded to the latest claims and have previously maintained that parliamentary oversight processes related to the matter were conducted in accordance with the law.
Sources also allege that efforts are ongoing to mobilise cooperative leaders and beneficiaries to provide testimony against Ms Ssali. However, the claims could not be independently verified.
Supporters of the former permanent secretary contend that any fresh investigations could provide additional insight into how decisions were made regarding the disputed funds and may influence public understanding of her role in the matter.
The reported review comes as Ms Ssali continues to defend herself against the charges before court. Prosecutors are expected to present evidence in support of the allegations, while the defence is expected to challenge the prosecution’s case.
The proceedings remain ongoing, and no court determination has yet been made regarding Ms Ssali’s culpability.
Any findings arising from the reported review by intelligence agencies could add a new dimension to a case that has attracted significant public and political interest.