Seven former senior officials of Parliament have been committed to the High Court Anti-Corruption Division to face trial over allegations involving more than Shs26.8 billion in public funds.
The officials were committed on Monday by Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe after the Inspectorate of Government (IG) told court that investigations into the case had been completed.
State Attorney Daisy Acio, who supervises prosecutions at the IG, informed court that the prosecution was ready to proceed with the case. She also told court that Stella Itute, a former Supervisor Sergeant-at-Arms at Parliament, had been removed from the indictment because she remains at large.
Those committed for trial are former Parliament Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Ariko Obore; former Director of Human Resource Daniel Adilo; former Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker Leonard Okema; former Principal Research Officer Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu; former Principal Protocol Officer Emmanuel Okwi Emuron; former Capacity Development Officer Vincent Otebata; and Methods Mureebe, the Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Parliamentary Cooperative Savings and Credit Society Limited, commonly known as Parliamentary SACCO.
The accused face nine charges, including causing financial loss, embezzlement and money laundering. The alleged offences relate to funds allocated for donations, corporate social responsibility programmes and stakeholder engagement activities of Parliament between 2023 and May 2026.
According to the prosecution’s summary of evidence, Obore allegedly received Shs5.2531 billion for donations and corporate social responsibility activities but failed to carry out the intended programmes or return the money to Parliament.
Adilo is accused of receiving Shs14.11075 billion for similar activities, while Okema allegedly received Shs3.8 billion. The prosecution claims that neither official implemented the activities for which the funds were released or refunded the money.
Ssemalulu is alleged to have received Shs1.870108 billion, while Okwi allegedly received Shs1.105 billion for donations and corporate social responsibility activities. The IG alleges that the activities were not implemented and the funds were not returned.
Otebata faces a separate allegation involving Shs502.534 million that was reportedly meant to facilitate fuel, subsistence allowances and transport refunds for external participants in a central-region stakeholder engagement programme.
Prosecutors allege that the engagement was never implemented and that the money was not refunded to Parliament.
The IG alleges that the six former Parliament officials collectively received Shs26.805892 billion for donations, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder engagement programmes but failed to implement the activities.
The prosecution further contends that the accused knew, or had reason to know, that their conduct would cause financial loss to the Government, resulting in an alleged loss equivalent to the entire Shs26.805892 billion.
Obore is separately accused of mismanaging another Shs2.578 billion that he was entrusted with for donations and corporate social responsibility activities.
The prosecution alleges that he subsequently submitted false accountability documents to account for the money.
The case also implicates the Parliamentary SACCO through its Chief Executive Officer, Mureebe.
According to the IG, Mureebe allegedly helped some of the accused persons obtain what prosecutors describe as proceeds of crime disguised as personal loans or savings.
The prosecution alleges that Mureebe facilitated all his co-accused to benefit from the funds.
Five of the Parliament officials are further accused of jointly acquiring, possessing, using and administering Shs10.497742 billion allegedly disguised as personal loans or savings through the Parliamentary SACCO.
The IG alleges that the accused knew, at the time they received the money, that it constituted proceeds of crime.
Itute, who had initially been listed as the sixth accused, was removed from the charge sheet after prosecutors informed court that she was not available to face the proceedings.
Her lawyer, Asuman Basalirwa, told court that he had lost contact with his client.
The prosecution subsequently confirmed that Itute had been dropped from the indictment being committed to the High Court. However, investigators are still searching for her.
The removal from the charge sheet does not amount to a determination of her innocence, as investigators continue to seek her whereabouts.
The prosecution intends to rely on evidence from several government institutions, financial institutions and alleged beneficiaries of Parliament’s donation and corporate social responsibility programmes.
Potential witnesses are expected from the Parliamentary Commission, Parliament of Uganda, Parliamentary SACCO, Bank of Uganda, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Centenary Bank, Absa Bank, DFCU Bank, Stanbic Bank, Cairo Bank Uganda Limited and the Inspectorate of Government.
Other witnesses will come from the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory and Uganda Police Force.
The prosecution also plans to call alleged beneficiaries of the programmes from districts across the country, including Bukedea, Ngora, Kumi, Serere, Pallisa, Mbale, Kole, Kitgum, Amuru, Agago, Amudat, Amuria, Katakwi, Gulu, Moroto, Mukono, Buikwe, Rakai, Arua, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Adjumani, Madi Okollo, Soroti and Kapelebyong, among others.
The evidence will also include employment records of the accused, approved budgets under Parliamentary Commission Vote 104 for the financial years 2022/2023 to 2025/2026, requisitions used as payment vouchers and accountability documents attached to the relevant payment records.
The prosecution intends to tender personal loan agreements between the accused and Parliamentary SACCO, together with financial records from the Parliamentary Commission Operations Account and the SACCO’s account at Cairo Bank.
Other documents include Integrated Financial Management System payment registers for Parliament for the financial years 2022/2023 to 2025/2026 and records relating to Parliament’s Treasury Single Account.
Bank statements belonging to the accused from DFCU Bank, Absa Bank, Cairo Bank and Stanbic Bank will also form part of the evidence, alongside bank inspection orders and waste cheques obtained from the respective financial institutions.
Correspondence from the Clerk to Parliament and loan documentation from Parliamentary SACCO are also expected to be presented before court.
The IG’s case file includes correspondence dated June 19, 2026, and a July 20, 2026 letter from CPA Sarah Magoola of the Inspectorate to Fredrick Oketch, Manager in the IG’s Anti-Corruption Directorate.
The documents relate to an audit of expenditure on donations and corporate social responsibility activities associated with the Speaker of the 11th Parliament.
Prosecutors will also rely on an audit report covering the period from 2023 to 2026, as well as a separate volume examining allegations of false accounting and misappropriation against Obore.
A forensic document examiner from the Uganda Police Force is expected to provide expert evidence following a request by the Inspectorate dated June 26, 2026.
The IG also intends to present accountability documents allegedly submitted by Obore, which prosecutors say will demonstrate the alleged falsification of accounts.
The Inspectorate, whose evidence is signed by IGG Lady Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, maintains that the accused have no lawful excuse for the alleged conduct and will ask the High Court to convict them after presenting its evidence.
The committal by the magistrate now paves the way for the case to be heard by the High Court Anti-Corruption Division, where the prosecution will be required to prove each allegation against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Meanwhile, High Court Judge Michael Elubu is expected to rule on the accused persons’ bail applications on September 9, 2026.
Until the bail applications are determined, the accused will remain on remand at Luzira Prison.
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