According to the prosecution, the accused, together with other suspects still at large, allegedly obtained $2.4m from Gafar Ibrahim Mohammed Elsawi, an investor with MAPSCO General Trading LLC, on September 22, 2025.
A Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) major and two civilians have been charged before the General Court Martial over allegations of defrauding an investor of $2.4m (about sh13b) in a purported gold deal.
The suspects are Maj Nicholas Ntakirwa, also known as Gen James, who is attached to the Directorate of Operations under the Land Forces; Mohammed Ali, a director at Duck Hunter Security Company Limited; and businessman Besigye Trevor.
The trio was arraigned earlier on Tuesday by the General Court Martial following investigations conducted by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
They face charges of obtaining money by false pretences and scandalous conduct. They were remanded until November 16, 2026.
According to the prosecution, the accused, together with other suspects still at large, allegedly obtained $2.4m from Gafar Ibrahim Mohammed Elsawi, an investor with MAPSCO General Trading LLC, on September 22, 2025.
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The prosecution alleges that the suspects presented themselves as being capable of selling and exporting 30 kilogrammes of gold to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, yet they had no intention of fulfilling the deal.
The money was allegedly obtained at the offices of Duck Hunter Security Company Limited in Muyenga, Makindye Division, Kampala.
The prosecution further alleges that on September 29, 2025, the suspects obtained an additional $120,000 (more than Sh500m) from the investor, falsely claiming that the money was intended for payment to the Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
The alleged transactions brought the total amount involved in the scheme to more than Sh13.5b.
The charges against Ntakirwa also raise questions about conduct expected of members of the defence forces, given his position as a serving UPDF officer.
The accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a competent court.
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