The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded two senior officials of the Uganda Liberal Teachers’ Union Members SACCO on charges of fraud and conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses.
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The accused, Evans Mutesasira Kaganizo, the SACCO chairperson from Katanga Zone, Bushenyi District, and Esiingwa Hassan Maganda, the general secretary from Baitambogwe Sub-county, Bunya County, Mayuge District, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi on Thursday. They denied allegations of fraudulently acquiring Shs 1.375 billion from the SACCO by falsely claiming to sell 500 acres of land in Kabwoya/Kyangwali sub-counties, Hoima District, between November and December 2024.
Investigations revealed that the land does not exist and is part of Bunyoro Kingdom property. Maganda allegedly had only an equitable interest in the land after a pending survey, meaning he was not its rightful owner.
The court also heard that the accused conspired to defraud the SACCO of Shs 2.75 billion through fraudulent purchases, including non-existent land, an overpriced house in Kira, and a Toyota Hilux (registration UBR 938S) bought at an inflated price of Shs 234 million.
Findings showed that on December 9, 2024, the supposed land was “purchased” from Hansem Technical Services Limited through a sale agreement signed by Mutesasira, Nathan Kakson Twinomujuni (general secretary), and Ninsiima Allen Buzaare (board member). However, the company did not own the land, making the agreement fraudulent. Additionally, on December 16, 2024, Shs 1.375 billion was transferred from the SACCO to Maganda’s personal account instead of the alleged vendor’s account, bypassing SACCO members’ approval and cooperative regulations.
The scam came to light when it was discovered that the SACCO leadership had spent over Shs 3 billion in a single month, triggering suspicion. A whistleblower reported the case to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in November 2024, alleging misuse of Shs 6.66 billion allocated to teachers by President Yoweri Museveni during National Teachers’ Day 2023.
The accused have been remanded until March 19, 2025, as investigations continue.
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