The State House Anti-Corruption Unit working with the police’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) have arraigned Leonard Kavundira, the Principal Cooperatives Officer in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, before the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of conspiracy to fraud.
The accused is accused of conspiring with his co-accused who were earlier remanded, to divert over UGX3.4B meant for war loss compensation by the government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society for their personal use.
He has been remanded until 9th July 2024.
He joins others in the same case who include Mawanda Michael Maranga, the Igara East Member of Parliament; Wamakuyu Ignatuis Mudimi of Elgon County in Bulambuli District; Akamba Paul of Busiki County in Namutumba District and lawyer Kirya Julius of Kirya Company Advocates; and others still at large.
The suspects will return to court on July 9, 2024.
The details of the cooperatives scandal was unearthed after Speaker Anita Among, August 25, 2023, directed the Sectoral Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry to conduct an inquiry into the status, governance, resourcing and value for money for public funds allocated to Cooperatives during the Financial Year 2022/23.
A report from the Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Industry’s investigation into the financial dealings of Bumwambu Growers Cooperative Society Ltd and Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Ltd has revealed a pattern of mismanagement and alleged fraudulent activities involving significant sums of money.
The report details instances of unauthorised transactions, unaccounted funds, and dubious legal representations, raising serious questions about the integrity and governance within these cooperative societies.