Nine Ministry of Finance officials facing charges over the alleged Shs60 billion Bank of Uganda heist have been ordered to prepare for trial next month, after the defence rejected a proposal to agree on facts and documents before the hearing.
The development has raised questions about why the case should proceed in its current form, particularly amid earlier calls for the officials to be reinstated and for those responsible for the alleged fraud to be identified.
However, the claim that a mafia network is behind the continued prosecution has not been established in court.
Inside sources indicate that despite the order by President Yoweri Museveni through head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe directing that the affected individuals be reinstated, there is resistance by a well networked mafia of sort to frustrate their reinstatement.
President Museveni wrote to Finance Minister, Henry Musasizi and copied in Director Criminal Investigation Department to start a new investigation since the people implicated were never the ones behind the heist.
Defence lawyer Mwesigwa Rukutana told the Anti-Corruption Court that his clients would not agree to any facts or documents in advance, insisting that the prosecution must prove its case.
“We are ready to proceed. We are aware we have a preliminary hearing. I want to put the prosecution on notice that, after studying the disclosures that were made, we are not agreeing to anything. Let the prosecution prove all the ingredients of this case,” Rukutana said.
Nevertheless, what stunned court was the so called additional evidence presented was written statements by Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramadan Ggoobi and Governor Bank of Uganda and yet, the two are also suspects since oversee Finance and are supervisors to the accused.
Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka, appearing with Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Thomas Jatiko, said the prosecution had disclosed the evidence and material facts it intended to rely on and wanted the parties to identify matters that would not be disputed.
Justice David Makumbi said the accused were entitled to challenge the evidence but warned that refusing to agree on any uncontested facts could unnecessarily prolong the proceedings.
“If we may adopt an approach that everything must be formally tendered in court, we are going to be here for a very long time,” Justice Makumbi said.
The judge directed the parties to hold a preliminary hearing on November 9, 2026, and scheduled the main trial for November 10, 11 and 12. He ordered the prosecution to be ready to open its case on November 9 if no agreement is reached, and reminded the accused that they could consider plea bargaining.
The nine accused are Accountant General Lawrence Semakula, Commissioner for Treasury Services Jennifer Muhuruzi, assistant commissioner Pedson Twesigomwe, senior IT officers Tony Yawe and Paul Lumala Nkalubo, Deborah Kusiima, Judith Ashaba, Bettina Nayebare and Mark Kasiiku. They denied all 20 charges.
The prosecution alleges that funds intended to service Uganda’s loan obligations to the World Bank’s International Development Association and the African Development Bank’s African Development Fund were diverted. It cites two transactions in September 2024 involving $6.13 million allegedly paid to Roadway Company Limited in Japan and $8.59 million allegedly sent to MJS International in the United Kingdom, instead of the intended lenders.
The accused remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
