The State House Anti corruption Unit (SHACU) has arrested eight people who had already defrauded USD 70,000 from Mr Gbillah Mark Terseer, a Nigerian national.
The suspects who were involved in this gold scam include; Tibasiima Barbra alias Katushabe Sharon a Ugandan and Secretary of Emerod Co. Ltd, Paluku Kisasi a Congolese national and purported seller of the gold, Safari Akonkwa a Congolese and a purported clearing Agent at Legacy Refinery Company and
Isaac Mpende a Congolese and purported Agent at Legacy Refinery Company limited.
Others included; Abdul Madjid Kahirima, a Ugandan and purported gold smelter, Mpenge Isaac a Congolese and a purported Agent.
Mabwongo Prince Congolese and purported gold seller from Congo and Kajjubi Tevin Kyome, a Ugandan and representative of Emerod Co. Ltd.
“The would-be victim’s cooperation resulted in us netting of 08 (eight) suspects who had already defrauded USD 70,000 from Mr Gbillah Mark Terseer. The suspects were arrested and upon conduct of a search, fake gold bars weighing approximately 150kgs were recovered from a rented house in Muyenga where they were operating.”Remarked Bamwiine Muhorozi, a senior officer at SHACU.
He added that, Since its inception in 2018, the Unit has received several complaints from victims of gold scams who have been defrauded of hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of US dollars under the guise of selling gold to them whereas not. Over the past two years, we have intervened and, in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and with guidance from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), investigated several such complaints, some of which are listed below:
In March, 2023, State House Anti-Corruption Unit received a complaint from Mr Hyun Uk Kim a Korean National about alleged defraud of USD 600,000 by a group of people led by Balondemu David, Mkwe Eric and others.
Alleged theft of a 06 tonnes gold consignment at Entebbe International Airport where the fraudsters conned people under the guise that an aircraft had brought 06 tonnes of gold from Congo to Uganda and that the same was held at Entebbe International Airport. Two suspects, Didier Rosovio and Afeti Ramadhan were arrested and charged in court.
In September, 2024, the Unit investigated a gold scam where it was revealed that counterfeit gold bars had been smuggled into a storage facility at Entebbe International Airport and used to defraud a foreigner. One Kananura Daniel and others were arrested and charged in court.
Defrauding Mr. Christian Andrt, a Dutch national of USD 1.5 M from by a group of people including Peters Kizito Musoke, a Partner at Shonubi Musoke & Co. Advocates in a series of fake gold transactions.
Defrauding Mr. Abraham Caron, a Nigerian national of USD 105,000 from by Dalton Lawrence Kizito and Mackland Egesa in a purported 20 kg gold transaction. Both Kizito and Egesa were arrested and charged in court.
