Eric Geoffrey Mkmwe, a renowned city lawyer has been remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of defrauding a Korean investor of $600000 (UGX 2.2B) in a fake gold scam.
Eric is a close associate of David Balondemu who was also week sent to Luzira on the same charges.
Mr Balondemu is the Kampala Land Board Chairman.
Eric who disguises as Daniel Kandooli alias Okello was netted by State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) commanded by Brig. Henry Isoke on directives of the President to investigate gold scam in which a Korean investor Hyun UK Kim lost about $1.5m multiple times between 2021 and 2023.
“State House Anti-Corruption Unit together with Police have arraigned Mkwe Eric Geoffrey alias Okello before the KCCA Chief Magistrates Court. He is among those who conspired to defraud USD 600,000 (UGX2.2B) from a Korean investor in a fake gold scam. He together with the earlier charged persons have been further remanded until 6th November 2023,” a brief statement from SHACU was posted on Twitter.
This is the third arrest in relation to the complaint lodged by the Korean investor Hyun UK Kim.
According to law enforcement authorities, the Balondemu and his accomplices allegedly utilized their legal knowledge to create an elaborate scheme that convinced the investor to pay $600,000.
Three weeks ago, City Hall Grade One Magistrate Rehema Nassozi Ssebowa remanded two men to Luzira Maximum Security Prison on charges of obtaining money by false pretense from the same Korean investor Hyun.
Court heard that Mugisha and Maviri, along with others who are still at large, allegedly committed these crimes between August 2021 and November 2021 in Kampala City.
They allegedly obtained US$300,000 (approximately Shillings 1.1 billion) by falsely claiming that they were selling 53 kilograms of gold to Hyun.
