UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | The chairperson of Kampala District Land Board, Mr. David Balondemu, accused of fraud, has been granted a USh5 million cash bail in his absence.
The Magistrates Court at Buganda Road received communication from the Uganda Prisons Murchison Bay, stating that Balondemu was admitted to the Murchison Bay Hospital due to ill health.
Magistrate Winnie Nankya, delivering her ruling on November 29, 2023, granted bail to Mr. Balondemu, ordering a cash payment of USh5 million.
His co-accused, Mr. Joseph Ibona, an accountant at Bloom Advocates Limited, and lawyer Eric Geoffrey Mkwe were also granted bail.
The trio faces charges related to alleged fraud involving over USh2 billion obtained from KG Unlimited LLC, a United States firm.
The magistrate emphasised that the accused satisfied all bail requirements, and their sureties were each bonded at USh20 million, non-cash.
The decision to grant bail rested on the constitutional presumption of innocence, with health considered as an extraneous circumstance but not a determining factor.
The prosecution alleges that between November 2022 and April 2023, the accused, along with others, falsely obtained $553,000 from KG Unlimited LLC.
They purportedly deceived the American firm by claiming to secure a contract for the supply of agricultural Drone Sprayers and fertilizers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries, and Fisheries.
This marks the second instance of Mr Balondemu being granted bail, following a previous case in October. In the earlier case, he faced charges related to defrauding a Korean investor of over USh2 billion in a gold scam.
Mr. Balondemu, along with James Jeff Mugisha and Godfrey Maviri, was jointly charged in the gold scam case.
As legal proceedings unfold, the accused individuals, including Mr. Balondemu, navigate the complex web of allegations, emphasising the need for a fair legal process and adherence to bail conditions.
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