KAMPALA – The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Grade One Magistrates’ Court has charged and remanded businessman Luyima Godfrey for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated gold scam that defrauded a Korean national of over USD 600,000 (approximately UGX 2.1 billion).
The charges stem from an incident in September 2021, where Luyima is accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to deceive Mr. Hyun Uk Kim. Court documents state that the accused fraudulently obtained the money by promising to supply the victim with 53 kilograms of gold.
To gain the victim’s trust, Luyima allegedly adopted a false identity, posing as a Congolese gold dealer named “Likambo Augustine.” The prosecution further contends that he supported his ruse by presenting forged documents to make the multi-billion shilling transaction appear legitimate.
Luyima faces a series of serious charges, including obtaining money by false pretense, uttering false documents, and forgery.
This case has a prior history. In 2023, four other suspects—Balondemu David, Mkwe Eric, Mugisha James Jeff, and Maviri Godfrey—were charged in connection with the same scam. However, the matter was unexpectedly dismissed by the court under circumstances that have not been fully clarified.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) subsequently intervened, ordering the reinstatement of charges against all suspects involved in the alleged fraud.
Luyima’s arrest was a collaborative effort between the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Office of the DPP. Following his arrest, he was arraigned in court and has been remanded into custody until September 10, 2025, when his case will proceed.
