news 14 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
PACEID Boss Matthew Bagonza Granted Bail in Shs170 Million Money Laundering Case
Matthew Bagonza, head of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Export and Industrial Development (PACEID) secretariat, has been granted bail by the Anti-Corruption High Court. He faces charges of abuse of office and money laundering totaling over Shs171 million. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/court-grants-paceid-boss-matthew-bagonza-bail-in-shs170m-money-laundering-case-5632090
Matthew Bagonza, the head of the Secretariat at the Presidential Advisory Committee on Export and Industrial Development (PACEID), has been granted bail by the Anti-Corruption High Court in Kampala. Bagonza is accused of abuse of office and money laundering involving Shs171 million.
Justice Jane Kajuga set Bagonza’s bail at Shs20 million in cash. His five sureties, reportedly including a minister and three Members of Parliament, were ordered to provide non-cash bonds of Shs30 million each. Bagonza has also been directed to surrender his passport and is prohibited from leaving the court’s jurisdiction without prior permission.
Bagonza’s legal team argued that he has a fixed residence, credible sureties, and no history of absconding, making him a low flight risk. They also stated he is his family’s sole provider. However, the prosecution had opposed the bail application, citing the seriousness of the offenses and potential flight risk, and questioning the sureties’ ability to ensure Bagonza’s consistent court attendance due to their busy schedules.
In her ruling, Justice Kajuga dismissed the prosecution’s objections. She affirmed Bagonza’s established places of abode and found the sureties, including his mother, to be substantial and capable of fulfilling their obligations. The judge noted that there was no evidence of Bagonza having previously breached bail conditions or facing other pending criminal charges.
The charges stem from alleged financial irregularities at PACEID. Bagonza is accused of abusing his office in January 2024 by improperly registering a private company with objectives similar to PACEID. The money laundering charge involves the alleged transfer of funds from a PACEID bank account to Bagonza’s personal account between September 2023 and August 2026, intended to conceal the money’s origin.