The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has dismissed the fraud case against David Balondemu, Chairperson of the Kampala District Land Board, due to a lack of prosecution.
On July 11, the presiding Grade One Magistrate, Winnie Nankya, dismissed the case after the prosecution failed to present a witness despite being given a final adjournment.
“Since September last year, this case has been in court with the prosecution seeking adjournments, which have always been granted, to present its witnesses in the case. This matter is hereby dismissed in accordance with Section 119 of the Magistrates Court Act,” Magistrate Nankya ruled.
The magistrate added that the prosecution is at liberty to reinstate the case against Mr. Balondemu whenever they are ready to proceed with the prosecution.
Mr. Balondemu faced charges of alleged fraud in connection with obtaining over Shs2 billion from a United States-based firm, KG Unlimited LLC, along with his co-accused: Joseph Ibona, an accountant at Bloom Advocates Limited, and another lawyer, Eric Geoffrey Mkwe.
It is alleged that between November 2022 and April 2023, at Bloom Advocates located at Kingdom Building in Kampala, Balondemu, Mkwe, Ibona, and others still at large, obtained $553,000 (more than Shs2 billion) from KG Unlimited LLC by pretending they would award the firm a contract to supply agricultural drone sprayers and fertilizers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries.
The state contends that the accused conspired to commit a felony by falsely obtaining the money from the American firm.
In a separate case, Mr. Balondemu was granted bail in October 2023 after being charged with allegedly defrauding a Korean investor of over Shs2 billion in a gold scam. He is jointly facing this charge with James Jeff Mugisha and Godfrey Maviri, both self-employed.
