Kampala land boss further remanded, bail ruling set for Thursday

The Kampala District Land Board Chairperson, David Balondemu, has been remanded to Luzira Prison until Thursday for bail ruling.

In his bail application before Buganda Road Magistrates Court, Balondemu, a City Lawyer, presented three sureties: his wife, brother-in-law, and young sister. However, Senior Attorney Viola Tusingwire objected to his bail, arguing that the sureties, in their respective capacities, cannot compel the accused person to attend court whenever needed.

Tusingwire also filed an affidavit sworn by Detective SP Sowedi, the investigating officer in the case, objecting to Balondemu’s bail. According to the affidavit, when charges were sanctioned against the accused, he was contacted by phone by SP Sowedi and requested to appear at the police station for questioning but refused.

The State further indicated that Balondemu had been issued with five criminal summons requiring him to appear before court to answer forgery charges but failed to do so until a warrant of arrest was issued through newspapers.

Prosecution’s Tusingwire informed Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi that Balondemu was likely to abscond if granted bail.

Balondemu was arrested on October 11, 2024, at Entebbe International Airport. He is on remand on charges of forging a medical form to secure his temporary release on dismissed fraud offenses. He is jointly charged with a medical doctor attached to Mulago Hospital, Hassan Segujja, who is on the run.

Prosecution contends that Dr. Segujja, with others still at large, knowingly and fraudulently made a false document in 2023 at Kampala Hospital indicating that Balondemu was a patient there. The forged prescription form and CT scan were allegedly created between June 12 and November 7, 2023.

The two documents were presented to Buganda Road Court as grounds for Balondemu to obtain bail on the dismissed charges of obtaining over US Dollars 50,000 from KG Unlimited LLC by falsely pretending to award them a contract for agricultural supplies to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Investigations are complete, and the State is ready to proceed with the prosecution.

Written by Ruth Anderah