In a fresh crackdown on white-collar crime, the Anti-Corruption Unit of State House, working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), on Tuesday arraigned two advocates over their alleged involvement in a high-stakes forgery and fraud case involving nearly Shs917 million.
Mr. Mwanjuzi Bob and Mr. Kalamu Lawrence were charged before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court on three counts: forgery, conspiracy to commit a felony, and obtaining money by false pretenses.
The prosecution told court that on April 20, 2023, the two advocates, alongside other individuals still at large, forged a lease agreement purporting that a legal transaction had occurred between SEMA Holding Limited and Ephrata Investment Group Ltd.
This forged lease was linked to Plot 3A, Lugogo By-Pass, which was marketed as the site for a project dubbed the Blackzone Recreation Center.
Armed with the falsified lease, the accused allegedly convinced Kalpana Abe, the head of SEMA Holding Limited, to release UGX917 million under the pretense that the money would be invested in the venture.
The elaborate scheme is believed to have been orchestrated to swindle the funds without any actual investment agreement or legitimate lease in place.
Following the court appearance, both suspects were remanded to prison until August 13, 2025, as investigations continue and police intensify the hunt for the remaining suspects.
The case has drawn attention to growing concerns about professional misconduct within legal circles, especially in land-related transactions that continue to be a hotbed for fraud in Uganda.
The Anti-Corruption Unit reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing perpetrators of white-collar crime, regardless of professional status, emphasizing that such fraud schemes not only damage individual victims but also erode public trust in legal and investment systems.
