By Mulengera Reporters
The high-profile fraud case involving city lawyer Absolom Kato has taken a dramatic turn following the arrest of a key suspect who had been on the run for three years.
On April 1, 2026, operatives from the Police Crime Intelligence Unit, in a joint operation with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, arrested Gilbert Tumwebaze Bafanabyo, a prominent businessman based in Mityana.
Tumwebaze is believed to be one of the masterminds behind an alleged scheme that defrauded a Qatar-based investor of approximately USD 286,000 (about UGX 1 billion). He is currently in detention as authorities await guidance from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) regarding formal charges and court arraignment.
The case dates back to June 8, 2024, when Absolom Kato, operating under KAAB Advocates, was arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Nakasero. He faces one count of money laundering under the Anti-Money Laundering Act and one count of electronic fraud under the Computer Misuse Act.
At the time, several co-suspects named in the complaint had not yet been apprehended.
During earlier court proceedings, the complainant, Souhail Imtiaz Khan of the Qatar-based Ascend Group, identified multiple individuals allegedly involved in the scheme.
The others investigators are interested in include a top NUP politician from Wakiso and Kenneth Ssengendo, a Kampala-based businessman reportedly owning several high-value properties. Others are Peter Kimuli and Dennis Mpanga. Authorities have not yet confirmed their whereabouts, and no arrests have been made in relation to these individuals.
Investigations indicate that the suspects allegedly exploited the names and perceived authority of high-ranking government offices—including the Office of the Special Envoy to the President, the Office of former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi, and the premises of the Parliament of Uganda—to build credibility and persuade the investor to release funds under false pretenses.
Notably, the NUP Wakiso politician has previously been linked to a similar fraud allegation reported in the May 7, 2024 edition of Bukedde newspaper. In that case, he and his accomplices allegedly posed as members of an NRM Special Contracts Committee under a Presidential Task Force, promising a government contract to supply generators. They reportedly defrauded another investor, Kuldip Singh Sagoo, of USD 573,996 (approximately UGX 2 billion).
Despite earlier reports that charges would follow upon arrest, no prosecution has yet materialized in that matter.
The arrest of Tumwebaze marks a significant breakthrough in a case that has raised concerns about the abuse of government institutions for fraudulent schemes, investor protection in Uganda and delays in apprehending high-profile suspects.
Legal observers are now awaiting the DPP’s decision on formal charges and whether the latest arrest will accelerate efforts to capture the remaining suspects. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
