The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has remanded two people to Luzira Prison for conspiring with the Kampala District Land Board Chairperson lawyer David Balondemu to defraud 2.2 Billion shillings from an American firm, KG Unlimited LLC.
The accused Martin Kasenge aka Denis Tumusiime a businessman, and Ronald Kaweesa aka Dr Alfred Musinguzi, a painter were charged before Grade One Magistrate Dan Mwesiga, on 19 charges of electronic fraud, Obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The accused now join Balondemu, the Kampala District Land Board Chairperson, lawyer Eric Mkwe and Joseph Ibona who were earlier charged on the same matter and granted bail.
Investigations revealed that, between November 2022 and April 2024, the accused defrauded the investors while purporting that they were to award them a contract for the procurement and supply of a water plant by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, whereas not.
According to the prosecutors, all the said money was received by Ronald Kaweesa the carpenter, through M/s Bloom Advocates on behalf of the fraudsters.
They have now been remanded until 26/02/25 as investigations continue.
The Prosecution alleges that the group of five suspects together with others still at large in September 2022 at Kampala in Kampala District, with the intent of securing an unlawful gain, made communication through a computer network to wit LinkedIn account in the names of African Natural Cannabis/Marijuana and obtained USD 553,500 (Five Hundred Fifty-Three Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars), (approximately 2.2 billion shillings) through Bloom Advocates Stanbic Bank United States Dollar Account No. 9030020729859.
The prosecutors state that the account in issue is held at Garden City Branch and money was from KG Unlimited LLC, Florida, USA which was reportedly obtained by deception that the said funds were required by the Government of Uganda to cover among others registration fees of a local company and attendant disbursements for pre-qualification to participate in a single source bidding for procuration/ supply of water plant-small grain, whereas not.