Two senior officials of the Uganda Liberal Teachers’ Union Members Sacco have been remanded after appearing before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on charges related to fraudulent activities involving Shs 7 billion.
The suspects, Evans Mutesasira Kaganizo, the Sacco chairperson from Katanga Zone, Bushenyi district, and Esiingwa Hassan Maganda, the general secretary from Baitambogwe Sub-county, Mayuge district, were charged with obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy to defraud.
The court heard that between November and December 2024, the accused deceived the Sacco into paying Shs 1.375 billion for a non-existent 500-acre plot of land in Hoima district, which they claimed to be for sale. Investigations later revealed that the land in question did not exist, and it was actually part of Bunyoro kingdom land, with Maganda only holding a partial, unverified share of it.
Further investigation uncovered that the accused had orchestrated additional fraudulent transactions, including the purchase of non-existent land, a house in Kira, and a Toyota Hilux vehicle at an inflated cost of Shs 234 million, totaling Shs 2.75 billion in losses. The sale agreements involved parties such as Hansem Technical Services Limited, which was found to have no ownership of the land. Additionally, the sum of Shs 1.375 billion was transferred from the Sacco to Maganda’s personal account instead of the supposed vendor’s account.
This transaction, which took place on December 16, 2024, bypassed Sacco member approval and the necessary regulatory consent from the registrar of cooperatives. The fraudulent activities became evident after Sacco members noticed the unauthorized spending of over Shs 3 billion within a single month.
A whistleblower’s report submitted to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in November 2024 prompted further scrutiny. The complaint alleged that a sum of Shs 6.66 billion, meant for teachers as part of a national grant from President Yoweri Museveni on Teachers’ Day in 2023, had been misappropriated.
The two suspects were remanded by court until March 19, 2025, as investigations into the case continue.