Bad Black’s British ex-fiancé loses sh11b recovery bid
The justices found Bad Black’s testimony unreliable because she had given conflicting accounts under oath and failed to produce evidence linking the missing money to Ssentongo.
David Greenhalgh (left), the ex-fiancé of socialite Shanita Namuyimbwa alias Bad Black (right). (File)
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The Court of Appeal in Kampala has dismissed an appeal in which David Greenhalgh, the ex-fiancé of socialite Shanita Namuyimbwa alias Bad Black, sought to recover US $3 million from businessman Meddie Ssentongo.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, November 2, 2026, Justices Eva Luswata, Florence Nakacwa and Stella Alibateese ruled that there was no proof that the money had been diverted from Davenshan Development (U) Ltd to Ssentongo.
They noted that Greenhalgh acknowledged that Ssentongo was not a signatory to the company’s bank account and that no evidence showed he had withdrawn money from it.
“The trial court rightly held that there was no linkage of funds moving either from Namuyimbwa or from the Appellants (Greenhalgh and Davenshan Development (U) Ltd) to the Respondent (Ssentongo) or to his personal bank accounts despite his earlier criminal conviction for conspiracy to defraud.
The justices found Bad Black’s testimony unreliable because she had given conflicting accounts under oath and failed to produce evidence linking the missing money to Ssentongo.
Although Ssentongo had previously been convicted in connection with the matter, the justices held that criminal convictions do not automatically determine liability in separate civil proceedings, since the parties, legal issues and remedies may differ.
In her testimony, Bad Black claimed she gave Ssentongo $3 million. She also admitted lying to the Anti-Corruption Court when she denied having dealings with him.
However, justice Nakacwa found that the contradictions undermined her credibility.
While an audit found that Bad Black had withdrawn $3.285 million, it could not establish how she spent it.
The dispute dates back to 2012 when Bad Black and Ssentongo faced criminal charges arising from allegations that money had been diverted from Davenshan Development.
Greenhalgh and Davenshan Development later pursued Ssentongo for $3 million, claiming that Bad Black had transferred the company’s money to him.
The company initially included Bad Black in the civil proceedings but dropped its claims against her following a settlement. She subsequently testified against Ssentongo.
In April 2015, High Court judge Henry Peter Adonyo dismissed the recovery suit after finding insufficient evidence that Ssentongo had received the money.
Greenhalgh and the company appealed to the Court of Appeal, arguing that Ssentongo’s earlier criminal conviction should have prevented him from denying responsibility for the missing funds.