Businessman Rusoke remanded over defrauding Kenyan investor of Shs 1.3bn 

A businessman who allegedly defrauded a Kenyan investor Shs 1.3 billion has been remanded until September 12.

Elijah Martin Rusoke aka Albert Kamugisha was yesterday Wednesday arraigned before City Hall court and charged with two counts of obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to commit a felony.

He is jointly charged with Issa Muwonge who did not appear before grade one magistrate Edgar Kakaire. Prosecution alleges that the two committed the offense between July and August 2022 at Musangala and Co Advocates in Kampala when they obtained $361,151.79 (about Shs 1.3 billion) from James Mirimi an investor from Kenya by falsely pretending that their company, Sagoo Electrical Uganda Limited had been awarded a contract by the NRM contracts committee to supply generators in various hospitals that were allegedly under construction in the country whereas not.      

Rusoke denied the charges and was remanded as investigations continue. He was arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit working together with police.  

According to the evidence before court, the accused held several meetings at parliament and Sheraton hotel where they signed the purported contract worth $18 million (about Shs 65 billion).    

It is alleged that he told the Kenyans to pay 2 per cent there after which they would be paid 70 per cent of the total contract sum.  

The Kenyans deposited $361,151,79 onto the account of Musangala Advocates and solicitors. They were supposed to pay the 70 per cent on September 21, 2022, but went into hiding until the arrest of some of the suspects including Rusoke and Muwonge. Muwonge was charged and released on bail about a year ago.