Friday, October 17, 2003
Two Ugandans deny role in Kenyan bank rip-off
A Kampala lawyer and the owner of a construction firm have denied being involved in swindling a Kenyan bank of about Sh500 million.
Mr Andrew Kassaga, the owner of Zzimwe Hardware and Construction Company, was quoted yesterday by a Daily Nation's sister daily in Uganda, The Monitor, saying that he had "been used" by con men from the Democratic Republic of Congo who drove from his office with $1 million (Sh78 million) in cash.
The con men, he said, also tried to use Mr Paul Kalemera of Mulira and Co Advocates to swindle Sh160 million, but this was detected by officials of Crane Bank and stopped.
Another Sh160 million, which was being swindled from Standard Chartered Bank in Nairobi, was detected before it was sent to a financial institution in Kampala.
An official from the institution yesterday denied knowledge of the rip-off.
The con men, who appeared to have been working together, met both Mr Kalemera and Mr Kassaga at Kampala Casino recently, where they set up their schemes.
According to information from Mr Kassaga and his lawyer, Mr Moses Kimuli of Kalenge of Bwanika and Kimuli Co Advocates, a Congolese con man identified as Mr Asuman Yahaya approached the construction magnate and offered to buy road-making equipment.
Mr Kassaga offered to sell part of his equipment to the Congolese and import other bits on their behalf. He was supposed to sell them five graders, five bulldozers and three wheel loaders, all worth about Sh80 million.
The agreement was signed on September 8.
The Congolese returned on October 6, soon after they had wired the money to Mr Kassaga's Barclays Bank account in Kampala, and demanded the cash from him.
They said they were going to buy cheaper equipment from Dubai.
After consulting with Mr Kimuli, Mr Kassaga agreed to return the money to the "businessmen", less about Sh3 million which was retained as a penalty.
According to documents seen by The Monitor, Mr Kassaga gave the con men about Sh27 million in US dollars and Sh53 million in Ugandan currency.
"They were two gentlemen and they were speaking French and Swahili," Mr Kassaga told The Monitor . "They went away with the money in a special hire taxi."
Mr Kalemera told The Monitor that he was approached in the casino by a "smartly dressed middle-aged man who identified himself as Roge".
The con man said he was interested in going into real estate business and wanted the lawyer to help him identify commercial properties to buy.
Mr Kalemera said he later received a phone call from the "investor" whom he gave his personal account number at Crane Bank.
"That was the last I heard of him," the lawyer told The Monitor .
"On Friday, I received a phone call from Crane Bank and they said: 'You have received $2 million (Sh156 million) in your account; where do you want us to send it?'"
He said he initially thought it was "a prank" until he called the bank again and was invited to go over.
He found a CID officer waiting for him at the bank. He has recorded a statement with police. "I believe they tried to use me in their scam."
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