Chairperson of Kampala District Land Board accused of stealing Shs2.3bn released
Balondemu and Mkwe were ordered to pay Shs20m in cash, and their sureties were required to execute a non-cash bond of Shs200m.
The Chairperson of Kampala District Land Board, David Balondemu, along with his co-accused, Geoffrey Mkwe, have been released by the court on bail. The duo was released by the City Hall court grade one magistrate, Rehema Nassozi.
The two are being jointly accused with businessmen, James Jeff Mugisha and Godfrey Mabirizi, of obtaining money by false pretence from a Korean investor and conspiracy to defraud.
According to the state prosecution, the accused persons, along with others still at large, obtained $ 600,000 between March and November 2021 at the office of Balondemu and Company Advocates along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala by falsely pretending to sell 53 kilograms of gold to a Korean investor, Hyun UK Kim.
The accused who appeared before the court at different intervals last month denied the charges. They sought bail through their respective lawyers, including Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng, and Mukasa Mbidde.
Balondemu considered the prime suspect, argued that “I was an officer of the court with a significant and unquestionable legal experience as a lawyer”
He presented several individuals as his sureties, including Dr Richard Lukandwa, a Consultant Physician at the Medical Hub, Richard Collins Kiberu, the Managing Director of C and C Investments and Goldmark Property Limited, his wife Slyvia Bahizi, an employee at Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and businesswoman Betty Nakayima, dealing in chemicals with Sunrise Luxury SMC.
The prosecution led by State Attorney Mercy Yamangusho Khaidarah opposed the bail applications, citing that, “there are incomplete investigations that could be jeopardized by the release of the accused,”
In her ruling, Magistrate Nassozi found the sureties to be substantial and allowed the applications for bail for the lawyers.
Balondemu and Mkwe were ordered to pay Shs20m in cash, and their sureties were required to execute a non-cash bond of Shs200m. They were also ordered to deposit their passports with the court and were barred from leaving the country without court permission.
The co-accused, who were the first to be arrested and sent to prison were further remanded until November 15th for the prosecution to verify the documents presented in their bail application and for mention on the progress of investigations.
