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Shs400m gold scam: State asks court to dismiss suspects' bail application
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Buganda Road magistrate, Ms Gladys Kamasanyu adjourned the matter to today for final ruling on their bail application.
KAMPALA: Prosecution has asked court not to grant bail to three men accused of defrauding a Dubai based Sudanese gold dealer of about Shs 400m in a gold scam.
The suspects are businessmen; Hajji Twaha Luganda, 40, Matovu Farouk Kadebedde, 36, and Jimmy Kimbere Buligho, 34, a Congolese national.
They were charged with two counts of obtaining money by false pretence and conspiring to commit fraud at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court.
During Wednesday’s court session held at Buganda Road Magistrates court, state attorney Ms Janat Kitimbo said the three men should be denied bail since their cases involve colossal sums of money and they might jump bail.
She said that when Mr Luganda, the key suspect was granted police bond on April 24, 2018, he did not show up at the agreed date despite several Police summons.
Mr Luganda according to prosecution, was issued with a warrant of arrest since November 2018, but was evasive and had abandoned his known place of abode in Seguku Wakiso District.
According to Sgt Buluma’s affidavit, police were able to trace Mr Luganda through his accomplice, Kadebedde, who was also got from his hiding place.
Some of the sureties presented allegedly had forged police letters.
“Basing on the fact that the affidavit raises issues of forgery of documents by sureties, this is a sign that the accused have not been honest with court, this is criminal. Mr Luganda also presented a fifth surety who is alleged to be his father,a one Haruna Sonko, this surety plainly informed court that he is not aware of A1’s actual residence,” Ms Kitimbo explained.
She added that it will be hard to trace sureties for Buligho (A3) as none of them brought a document from their work place.
Buganda Road magistrate, Ms Gladys Kamasanyu adjourned the matter to today for final ruling on their bail application.
Prosecution contends that the accused persons and others still at large between July and August, 2016, at Muyenga and Nakasero in Kampala, with intent to defraud obtained $108,500(about Shs 400m) from Mr Osman by falsely pretending that they were going to sell to him gold.
In the count of conspiracy it is state that the trio conspired to defraud Mr Osman of AFWAF General Trading Company Limited, a Dubai-based firm.
