The Shs 3.8 billion corruption case against former Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali Busulwa hit yet another delay this week after proceedings collapsed in a bizarre twist—because the court could not sit without an Assistant Registrar.
Ssali returned to the Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, January 4, 2026, alongside her co-accused, in a case that continues to drag through Uganda’s judicial corridors with no end in sight.
She appeared before Grade One Magistrate Paul Mujuni together with other accused persons, but hopes of progress quickly faded when the court announced it could not proceed.
Magistrate Mujuni explained that the Assistant Registrar was away on official duties at the High Court during the opening of the new law year, leaving the court unable to handle the matter.
What was expected to be a routine mention instead turned into another adjournment in a case already struggling under repeated procedural interruptions.
On Thursday, the Anti-Corruption Court formally halted further proceedings, pushing the matter to April 15, with bail for all accused persons automatically extended.
The defence, led by counsel Musimeta representing Michael Mawanda and holding brief for other accused persons, noted on record that the prosecution was absent and the matter had not been fixed for hearing.
She requested an adjournment, a move the court accepted without objection, adding yet another layer to the growing list of delays.
Beyond courtroom scheduling issues, the trial itself remains frozen pending a Constitutional Court ruling on a petition challenging the legality of arrests and prosecution—filed by Busiki County MP Paul Akamba.
Until that constitutional question is resolved, the main trial remains on pause, leaving the Shs 3.8 billion case in legal limbo.
Prosecutors allege that during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 financial years, Ssali irregularly included a cooperative society on the compensation list despite it not being part of the approved supplementary budget.
She is also accused of authorising payments worth Shs 3.8 billion to Kirya & Company Advocates, allegedly in violation of Treasury Instructions, actions prosecutors say led to financial loss to government.
The repeated adjournments, procedural gaps, and pending constitutional questions have now turned the case into one of the most closely watched corruption trials—yet still stuck on the starting line.
For now, what should have been a straightforward hearing remains trapped in court bureaucracy, with justice delayed yet again in a case involving billions of shillings and high-profile accused persons.
