The Chairperson of Kampala District Land Board, David Balondemu, has been charged before the Kampala City Hall Court and remanded to Luzira prison until November 6, 2023.

Balondemu, who is also a city lawyer, appeared Friday before Grade One Magistrate Edgar Karakire and denied the charges of obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to commit a felony.

It is alleged that Balondemu, together with another lawyer, Eric Geoffrey Mkwe, who is on the run and two other people (Mugisha James and Maviri Godfrey) who are already in prison, committed the offence between March and November 2021 at the offices of M/S Balondemu and Company Advocates along Parliamentary Avenue in the Kampala City.

Chairperson of Kampala District Land Board David Balondemu (R) appeared before Grade One Magistrate Edgar Karakire and denied the charges of obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to commit a felony. (Photo by Stuart Yiga)

The group allegedly conspired together and obtained $600,000 (about shillings 2.2b), falsely pretending that they were selling 53 kilograms of gold to Hyun Uk Kim, whereas not.

On Friday, the Magistrate at City Hall informed Balondemu that he would be able to rule on his bail application when he returns to court on November 6, 2023.

This followed lengthy submissions for the bail application by his Lawyers; Evans Ochieng, Fred Mukasa Mbidde and Robert Bautu, who also presented four sureties’ including his wife and doctor.

Chairperson of Kampala District Land Board David Balondemu (Centre) being consoled by his friends and relatives at the City Hall Court, shortly after he was denied bail by Grade One Magistrate Edgar Karakire. (Photo by Stuart Yiga)

The lawyers urged that their client needed to be granted bail to enjoy the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

“Given that he is a responsible person that can turn up by himself, a senior advocate with experience of over 10 years, fully licensed, and member of the Uganda Law Society, he really deserved to be granted bail,” the lawyers said.

However, prosecution led by Mercy Yamangusho informed court that the investigations were complete and applied for a hearing date.