Missing Masaka priest charged with Shs500m money laundering

Masaka Catholic Priest, Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira is expected to appear in court on money laundering charges involving Shs500 million.

Masaka City, Uganda: Rev Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira, the Catholic priest from Masaka, who had been missing for weeks following his reported arrest by security operatives, has been formally charged with money laundering involving Shs500 million, according to court documents seen by DailyExpress.

Fr Ssekabira, a resident of Bumangi Catholic Parish in Sesse Islands, Kalangala District, is expected to appear in court on Tuesday (today) to answer charges of money laundering contrary to Sections 3(b), 119 and 139(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Cap 118.

According to the charge sheet, Fr Ssekabira and others still at large are accused of, between 2023 and 2025, intentionally concealing or disguising the true ownership of Shs500,000,000 at Centenary Bank Masaka Branch, knowing or suspecting that the funds were proceeds of crime.

The prosecution alleges that the transactions were structured to mask the source and ownership of the funds, amounting to a violation of Uganda’s anti-money laundering laws.

Fr Ssekabira’s arraignment comes nearly two weeks after he was reported missing, sparking public concern and speculation following claims that he had been abducted by armed men earlier this month.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) later acknowledged that Fr Ssekabira was in its custody, stating that he was being held over alleged involvement in what it described as “violent subversive activities.”

At the time of publication, neither the Catholic Church leadership nor Fr Ssekabira’s legal representatives had issued a formal statement regarding the charges.