City lawyer David Balondemu has been remanded to Luzira government prison after being arraigned before City Hall court in Kampala and charged with defrauding a Chinese national in a fake gold.
Balondemu, 52 who is also the chairperson of the Kampala District Land Board was arraigned on an amended charge sheet together with three others who had already been remanded to prison.
The four were charged with obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 305 of the Penal Code Act.
According to prosecution, the group together with others still at large between the months of March and November 2021 at the offices of M/s Balondemu & Co Advocates along Parliamentary Avenue in the Kampala City received $600,000( approximately shs2.2billion) by falsely pretending that they were selling 53kilograms of gold to Hyun Uk Kim whereas it was not true.
Balondemu together with three others are also accused of conspiring to commit a felony contrary to section 390 of the Penal Code Act when they obtained $600,000 from the Korean national by false pretence.
The lawyer was arrested by the State House Anti Corruption Unit following a complaint by the Korean national to the president that he had lost huge sums of money to crooks in Kampala.
Balondemu is said to have used his legal expertise to create an elaborate scheme which convinced the Korean national to release the money.
When presented before City Hall grade one magistrate, Edgar Karakire, Balondemu denied the charges.
The state prosecutor, Mercy Yamangusho, however told court that investigations into the case are still ongoing.
The lawyer asked court to release him on bail after citing his bad health but the magistrate said he would only determine the bail on November, 6, 2023.
He was remanded until then.
Balondemu is charged alongside fellow lawyer, Geofrey Eric Mkwe, Jeff James Mugisha and Godfrey Maviri.