Kampala, (UG): The City Hall Magistrate’s Court in Kampala has remanded to Luzira Prison City Lawyer, Mr David Balondemu over falsely obtaining money amounting to shs2.2bn ($600,000) from a Korean investor in a fake gold deal.
The Korean investor, Hyun Uk Kim says he was defrauded by Balondemu, and other co-accused after they promised him gold worth 53 kg only to be given fake particles.
The 52-year-old lawyer, who is the founder of Balondemu and Co. Advocates on Friday appeared before the city hall court presided over by Mr Edgar Karakire after he was arrested by officials from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and police on Thursday afternoon.
Court heard that Balondemu who also heads the Kampala District Land Board, and others, between the months of March and November 2021 while at the offices of M/S Balondemu & Co Advocates along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala City conspired and obtained $600,000 from Kim claiming to be selling him gold whereas not.
It is alleged that Mr Kim was contacted by one Mugisha who knew the alleged gold seller to whom he got in touch after being picked up from the airport by the alleged son and interpreter of the seller. The accused met Kim at Imperial Residence Apartment where the latter was shown gold nuggets and later taken to M/S NSB advocates and legal consultants.
“A Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the complainant (Mr Kim) to pay a deposit of $208,000 (about Shs700 million), and he was told to bring cash which he handed over to the law firm. However, instead of the gold being transported by land as asked by the complainant, he was told to pay $62,000 (over Shs200m) for Cargo Flight Insurance,” court documents read.
During all these transactions at the law firm, it is further alleged that Maviri was in the company of the gold seller and upon a search at his home, six kilogrammes of suspected gold nuggets were recovered.
The magistrate upon hearing the submissions from both parties remanded Balondemu to Luzira Prison until November 6, 2023, when he’s expected to return to court after his three lawyers’ attempts to secure bail failed.
“Both parties have presented lengthy submissions. I need to study them and make a ruling,” Mr Karakire said before sanctioning the remand.
Balondemu’s court arraignment comes days after two of his co-accused James Jeff Mugisha and Godfrey Maviri, both self-employed were on October 4, 2023, remanded to prison over the offence allegedly committed in 2021. The duo was remanded until November 25, 2023.
President Museveni has in the past frequently complained about investors being defrauded by city con men and lawyers.
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