The Catholic church priest Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira under the Masaka Diocese, has formally been slapped with charges of money laundering following over a fortnight in the military detention since he reportedly went missing from his diocesan office.
Fr. Ssekabira was arraigned before the Masaka Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday where he was officially read charges of money laundering under Sections 3(b), 119, and 139(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
According to prosecution, between 2023 and 2025 while at Centenary Bank’s Masaka branch, the clergy knowingly or recklessly concealed and misrepresented the ownership of Shs 500 million believed to be proceeds of criminal activity, which he denied.
The state however told court that investigations into the matter were still going on, pushing the hearing of the case to a later date when he will be returning.
Fr. Ssekabira a curate at Bumagi Parish, was confirmed to have been in custody of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) following long time of his disappearance which later came to be described as an arrest by the state.
The army spokesperson Col Chris Magezi had recently confirmed in the statement that his arrest was in connection to his involvement in subversive activities that posed a threat to national security, although details to this were scanty.
The UPDF’s public acknowledgment followed a statement by the Masaka diocese catholic Bishop Serverus Jjumba pinning the military personnel to have been responsible to what came to be known as Ssekabira’s abduction.
His detention sparked widespread debate among human rights defenders, members of the Catholic community, politicians and ordinally people, castigating the manner of his arrest without access to his lawyers and family members.
His placement before court has now ended suspicion and doubts that he would be released un conditionally following his detention.
