By Abdulkarim Ssengendo and Fred Turyakira

A 32-year-old man was recently charged with 325 counts before the High Court in Mbarara.

The court clerk started reading the charges at around 11:30am and ended at around 1:00pm.

The man, identified as Peter Sande Kagoro, is a resident of Kakiika sub-county in Mbarara district. His charges were categorised as forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and issuing false documents.

He allegedly conned parents of money meant for school fees for over 350 students, whom he promised to connect to the Integrated Community Based Initiative.

The parents and their children were from Mbarara, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Isingiro, Kiruhura and Ssembabule districts.

Of the 325 cases, 300 were for obtaining sh170,000 by false pretence from Frankline Mpungye and sh280,000 from Enos Tumwine, claiming that he would help them get scholarships for their children.

In Kiruhura district, he conned 228 parents. His arrest came after local leaders tipped off the Police after doubting Kagoro’s system of collecting money.

Kagoro was arrested in March when he had gone to claim his motorcycle that had been impounded in a traffic operation.

He denied the forgery charges and asked court to grant him bail. He was granted a cash bail of sh500,000 by the grade II magistrate, Perry Muhumuza. The case was adjourned to April 1.

Moses Mugabi, a lecturer at Uganda College of Commerce in Kabale and Fred Twebembire, a teacher, stood as Kagoro’s sureties.

The two are supposed to ensure that Kagoro appears in court.

The court retained their travel documents.
State prosecutor Gloria Alleluya explained that the terms set for the sureties were based on the weight attached to the charges.