Kampala, Uganda: Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, has come under scrutiny for his role in the ongoing investigation into alleged misuse of funds allocated for cooperatives.
Recent revelations have highlighted that Ggoobi directed Geraldine Ssali, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, to authorize payments to various cooperatives, a move that has sparked controversy.
Ms. Geraldine Ssali, who is currently detained at Luzira Prison, reportedly faced significant pressure from both politicians and Ggoobi to process payments for several cooperatives. Documents seen by this news website show that Ggoobi instructed Ssali to release funds to North Bukeddi Cooperative Union, South Bukedi Cooperative Union, and West Acholi Cooperative Union Limited.
Concerns have arisen over the payments made to these cooperatives, particularly South Bukedi, which received funds without proper verification. The rationale behind Ggoobi’s directive remains unclear, as typically, the Ministry of Trade is responsible for initiating such payment processes.
In a letter dated January 13, 2023, Ggoobi directed Ssali to disburse Shs2 billion to South Bukedi Cooperative Union. The procedure followed was deemed irregular since Ggoobi, as a supervising official, is not usually responsible for initiating such payments. The letter emphasized prioritizing compensation for verified cooperatives within the ministry’s available resources.
This directive followed a request from Geoffrey Ekenya, Chairman of South Bukedi Cooperative Union and Member of Parliament for Tororo North County. Ekenya had previously complained about the lack of compensation despite other unions receiving partial payments. He highlighted the issue in a January 2, 2023 letter to Ggoobi, noting that their cooperative had yet to receive any funds.
Additional correspondence reveals that Ggoobi had also instructed Ssali to handle payments for West Acholi Cooperative Union in a letter dated September 22, 2022.
Similarly, an August 1, 2022 letter outlined the need for Ssali to manage a request from North Bukedi Cooperative Union, indicating that the Ministry of Trade, responsible for cooperative regulation and compensation, should handle these requests.
While Ssali awaits her bail hearing, Alex Kakooza has been appointed temporarily to handle her duties at the Ministry of Trade. The ongoing investigation continues to probe the appropriateness of the payments and the procedural lapses involved.
