FORMER MAYOR CONTESTANT CONVICTED

By NATHANAEL

KAMPALA. Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded to Luzira a former contestant for the Kampala Lord Mayor seat for defrauding individuals over Shs500m in gold scam.

The accused Leon Muhammed Kasule appeared in a session presided over by the Chief Magistrate James Ereemye and denied three counts of obtaining money by false pretences as read to him.

Mr Kasule through his lawyer Ms Aminah Zawedde, Kasule applied for bail and presented three sureties who also tendered their identification documents as a guarantee for the suspect not to jump bail.

However, the state prosecutor Mr Jonathan Muwaganya, requested court to remand the suspect until April 13, when he will respond to his bail application after scrutinizing the sureties’ documents.

Prosecution contends that Kasule on June 26, 2017 in Kampala District with intent to defraud obtained $48000 (over Shs177m) which was transferred to his bank account No. 2202771867 at KCB Main Branch Kampala from the Bank Account of Ms Florence Kiremerwa Account No.0123146105052701 at Eco Bank Kampala while falsely pretending that he was selling 2kilograms of gold whereas not.

It is further alleged that on the August 31, 2017 in Kampala with intent to defraud, obtained $79,990 (over Shs295m) which was sent to his bank account through inward SWIFT Pa-At DPC from a one, Mr Richard Richards 2502 EUTA in USA while falsely pretending that he was selling to him 25kilograms of gold.

On the third count of obtaining money by false pretences, it is contended that on September 13, 2017 in Kampala with intent to defraud, the accused obtained $29,722 (over Shs109m) which was still transferred to his account at KCB Main Branch Kampala through inward SWIFT Pa-At DPC from Mr Richards contending that this was an additional payment for the 25kilograms of gold.