Renowned attorney David Balondemu was reportedly arrested on allegations of swindling a South Korean investor out of a substantial sum.
According to a local source, Balondemu, who serves as the chairman of the Kampala Land Board, was apprehended by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) on Wednesday. The complaint stated that he had deceived Hyun UK Kim, the Korean investor, of $600,000 (equivalent to Shs2.2 billion).
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The lawyer is currently being held at SID Kireka, awaiting his court appearance. Balondemu assumed the position of Kampala Land Board chairman in 2020, having been appointed by the Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago. However, his appointment was met with resistance from certain informants who accused him of being involved in various fraudulent activities.
Previously, Balondemu was under investigation by the Kibuli CID department for his alleged collaboration with gold dealers in defrauding unsuspecting foreign investors through fake gold transactions, which involved significant sums of money.
His arrest follows the recent apprehension and arraignment of two other suspects, James Mugisha Jeff and Maviri Godfrey, who were charged with defrauding the same Korean investor. The charges included obtaining money under false pretenses and conspiracy to commit a felony. The accused were remanded until October 25, 2023.
Allegedly, between August and November 2021, Kim was defrauded of over US$300,000 (Shs1.1 billion) in a 53kg gold scam in Kampala. Mugisha James Jeff, who was acquainted with the supposed gold seller, facilitated the deal, while Maviri was reportedly consistently present during their interactions with the gold ‘seller’.
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