State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) working with Uganda Police and Director of Public Prosecution have Tuesday afternoon arraigned , Kampala City Land Board Chairperson and City Lawyer Balondemu David, before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The accused while facing charges of obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to defraud over UGX 2.2Billion from an American Company, KG Unlimited LL.C, knowingly and fraudulently forged medical documents in support of his bail application.
He has been remanded until 21/10/2024.
Balondemu was arrested at Entebbe International Airport upon his return from Dubai.
Balondemu had reportedly been hiding for an extended period.
His arrest last Friday evening follows a dramatic turn of events in a long-standing legal battle involving fraud, money laundering, and forgery allegations.
Balondemu, who had previously jumped bail and gone into hiding, faces a fresh wave of legal challenges.
Upon his arrest, authorities confirmed that he is being held at the Central Police Station in Kampala, awaiting his appearance in court on Tuesday.
His return to Uganda has reignited legal proceedings, as both old and new charges have been leveled against him.
Balondemu initially secured bail last year by presenting what was later revealed to be a forged medical document.
The falsified document was allegedly used to mislead the court into granting him temporary release from prison under the guise of ill health.
However, after obtaining bail, Balondemu disappeared from public view, fleeing to Dubai to evade further legal action.
His arrest at Entebbe Airport marks the end of his time in hiding and the beginning of what could be a lengthy legal process.
“He is at CPS and is likely to appear in Court tomorrow Tuesday. As we process charges for other bigger cases,” a source at State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) said.
The forgery of the medical document now forms part of the broader list of charges Balondemu will face in court, compounding his already complicated legal predicament.
In addition to the charges he previously faced, Balondemu is now being confronted with eight new cases, including fraud and money laundering and illegal sale of land at Prince Charles Drive in Kololo Kampala.
These fresh allegations relate to a series of fraudulent activities in which substantial sums of money were allegedly siphoned from various sources, including private investors and government-linked projects.
Earlier this year, Balondemu was implicated in a scam involving a Korean investor, Hyun UK Kim, who had reportedly lost a significant amount of money in a fraudulent transaction.
While those charges were initially dismissed due to insufficient evidence, the government has reinstated them following Balondemu’s arrest, with security agencies securing fresh court summonses to reopen the case.
Balondemu’s legal battles extend beyond criminal charges. Before his arrest, he had filed a civil lawsuit against the Attorney General and a Korean investor, seeking compensation of 20 billion Ugandan shillings.
The lawsuit, which alleges malicious prosecution, was filed after the courts dismissed the previous charges against him, ruling that they were baseless.
Documents filed with the civil court, overseen by Deputy Registrar Simon Kintu Zirintuusa, show that the defendants—both the government and the investor—have 15 days to respond to Balondemu’s claims. However, with his recent arrest and mounting criminal charges, it remains unclear how this civil case will proceed in the face of his re-incarceration.
Balondemu has been a figure of controversy for several years. Earlier this year, he and other individuals were accused of defrauding several entities, including an American company, of Shs 2.2 billion in a procurement scam related to a water plant project under the Ministry of Agriculture.
These accusations were initially dismissed by City Hall and Buganda Road courts, citing lack of sufficient evidence.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, which played a key role in his latest arrest, has emphasized that the reinstated charges are backed by compelling evidence.
The unit also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that justice is served in light of the new developments.
With Balondemu’s arrest, the legal drama surrounding the high-profile lawyer is far from over.