Businessman remanded in Kenyan sh1.3billion fraud case

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A businessman who allegedly defrauded a Kenyan investor of sh1.3 billion has been remanded.

Elijah Martin Rusoke commonly known as Albert Kamugisha was on Wednesday arraigned before City Hall Court and charged with two counts of obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to commit a felony.

He is jointly charged with Issa Muwonge who did not appear before Grade One Magistrate Edgar Kakaire.

Prosecution alleges that the two committed the offence between July and August 2022 at Musangala and Co Advocates in Kampala when they obtained 361151.79 dollars (approximately 1.3 billion shillings) from James Mirimi an investor from Kenya by falsely pretending that their company  Sagoo Electrical Uganda  Limited  had been awarded a contract by the NRM contracts Committee to supply generators in various hospitals that were allegedly under construction in the country whereas not.

Rusoke denied the charges and was remanded until September 12th 2023 for mention as investigations continues.

He was arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit working together with police.

According to the evidence before Court the accused held several meetings at Parliament and Sheraton Hotel where they signed the purported contract worth USD18 million. (About 67million shillings).

It is alleged that he told the Kenyans to pay 2 percent there after which they would be paid 70 percent of the total contract sum.

The Kenyans deposited USD 361, 151, 79 on the account of Musangala Advocates and solicitors.   They were supposed to pay the 70% on September 21st 2022, but went into hiding until the arrest of some of the suspects including Rusoke and Muwonge.

Muwonge was charged and released on bail about a year agol

****

URN