Two advocates, Bob Mwajuzi and Lawrence Kalamu, have been charged with multiple fraud-related offences, including forgery of a lease agreement, uttering a forged document, conspiracy to commit a felony, and obtaining money by false pretence.
The duo appeared before Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi on Tuesday.
Prosecution alleges that the lawyers forged a lease agreement dated April 20, 2023, purportedly between SEMA Holdings Limited and Ephrata Investment Group Limited.
The forged agreement was allegedly used to defraud Kalpana Abe, a Japanese national, of Shs917 million.
The money was solicited under the pretext of investing in Ephrata Investment Group Limited based on a fake 10-year lease agreement between January 24, 2023, and August 14, 2023, within Kampala City.
Two Ethiopian nationals, Tigist Ayalew Melkamu and Sisay Bekuremekamu, have also been charged in connection with the case.
Melkamu faces additional charges of engaging in private business in Uganda without a valid permit.
She is accused of operating as a director of Ephrata Investment Group Limited, as well as the proprietor of Hide Out Lounge and Bar, and Circuit Lounge and Restaurant Company Limited, all based at Lugogo By-Pass in Kampala, between 2021 and May 2025.
The court remanded the two lawyers to Luzira Prison until August 13, 2025, when their bail application will be heard.
In the meantime, court has directed police to arrest the two Ethiopian nationals and produce them in court to answer to the charges.
The case underscores the gravity of the allegations and the need for thorough judicial proceedings.