Mathew Bagonza, the head of the secretariat for the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), has been formally charged and remanded to prison over allegations of abuse of office and money laundering.
Staring blankly from the dock, Bagonza appeared before Principal Grade One Magistrate Christopher Opit at the Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero, Kampala, on Thursday.
The high-profile court session drew significant attention, with the courtroom packed by Bagonza’s relatives, as well as PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo and his wife, Bishop Patience Rwabwogo, daughter to President Yoweri Museveni.
During the session, the prosecution, led by Teopista Nnam and Viola Tusingwire from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), detailed a complex scheme allegedly executed by the accused while serving under the Office of the President.
According to the charge sheet, in January 2024, Bagonza abused his office by irregularly registering and incorporating the “Presidential Initiative on Export and Industrial Development” as a private limited company. Prosecutors argued that the private entity mirrored the exact objectives of his employer, making its registration highly prejudicial to the interests of PACEID and the Government of Uganda, contravening Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act.
Furthermore, Bagonza faces severe money laundering charges. The prosecution alleges that between September 1, 2023, and August 30, 2026, he transferred Shs171.7 million from a bank account opened under the name of the irregularly registered company to his personal account.
These transactions, reportedly conducted at Housing Finance Bank’s Kololo Branch, were allegedly intended to conceal the illicit origin of the funds, violating the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
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Because the offenses of money laundering are capital in nature and triable only by the High Court, Bagonza was not required to enter a plea before the magistrate.
The ODPP informed the court that investigations into the financial scheme are still ongoing. Consequently, Magistrate Opit adjourned the case and remanded Bagonza to prison until October 5, 2026, when he is expected to reappear for mention of the case.
Bagonza’s formal court appearance comes weeks after he was reportedly picked up from his home in Entebbe by security agencies. The circumstances surrounding his detention were confirmed in August by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Odrek Rwabwogo has previously defended his aide, maintaining that he was unaware of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and calling for any allegations against Bagonza to be strictly handled through the judicial system.
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