The Masaka High Court Judge Justice Victoria Nakintu, has finally granted bail to Rev Fr Deusidedit Ssekabira, after spending more than two months in custody in the alleged money laundering case against him.
Fr, Ssekabira, who is the assistant parish priest of Bumangi parish in Kalangala district, under the Masaka Catholic Diocese, was picked from his offices in December last year by military operatives over allegedly laundering UGX 500m and disguising ownership of the said money, which according to state was proceeds of crime.
On Tuesday, Justice Nakintu finally granted bail after she ruled that Fr Ssekabira had presented substantial sureties, this is after dismissing previous sureties as objected to by Masaka State Prosecutor, Deborah Itwawu in the previous bail application hearing last month.
Justice Nakintu ordered Fr Ssekabira to pay a UGX 15 million cash bond while his sureties where each bonded UGX 50 million non-cash bond .
She further ordered Fr Ssekabira to deposit his passport with the court.
Jubilations filled the Masaka High Court premises as religious leaders, faithful and family rejoiced the news of the release of Fr Ssekabira on bail.
Fr Ssekabira, was arrested in December by UPDF soldiers from Masaka District and later on presented before court where he was charged with money laundering.
According to the charge sheet, Fr Ssekabira and others still at large between 2023 and 2025 at Centenary Bank- Masaka Branch in Masaka District, intentionally concealed or disguised the true ownership of Ugx 500,000,000/= (Five hundred Million Shillings Only) knowing or suspecting such property to be the proceeds of crime.
