The Makindye Magistrate’s Court has remanded James Ssentumbwe, over allegedly scamming a Malaysian national $150,000 (approximately Shs551,986, 187 million) in a gold scam.
Ssentumbwe faces multiple charges, including Obtaining Money by False Pretence ($150,000), Carrying Out Refining, Smelting, Processing, and Trading in Minerals without a Licence, Conspiracy to Defraud, and Forgery.
Prosecution alleged that in January 2026, at Munyonyo in Makindye Division, Ssentumbwe conspired with Mr. Adams Kibuye Yawe (currently at large) to defraud Mr. Kon Kin Kheong, a Malaysian national, of $150,000.
The money was allegedly obtained under the false pretext of processing documentation for the export of 50 kilograms of gold to Dubai.
The scheme was reportedly facilitated by Mr. Kibuye’s projection of power and authority; he was allegedly found in possession of a forged State House Identity Card, purporting to identify him as a Political Mobiliser.
Prosecution further informed the court that investigations are ongoing, and other suspected co-conspirators remain at large, particularly individuals linked to Hey Transporters and Logistics in Lweza–Lubowa, Wakiso District, where the suspects allegedly conducted illegal gold “processing” operations at an unlicensed refinery.
The court remanded Ssentumbwe until March 6, 2026, when the case will come up for further hearing.
