The ongoing 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, security operatives from the Police Crime Intelligence Unit, working jointly with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, arrested Tumwebaze Gilbert Bafanabyo, a prominent businessman based in Mityana.
Tumwebaze is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the alleged scheme that defrauded a Qatar-based investor of approximately USD 286,000 (about UGX 1 billion). He is currently in detention awaiting guidance from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on 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 fraud scheme.
Those still at large include; Ssekigozi Stephen, a two-time parliamentary aspirant for Busiro South, Ssengendo Kenneth, a Kampala-based businessman reportedly owning several high-value properties, Peter Kimuli, Dennis Mpanga. Authorities have not yet confirmed their whereabouts, and no arrests have been made in relation to these individuals.
Investigations suggest 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, Premises of the Parliament of Uganda.
The group is accused of using these affiliations to build credibility and convince the investor to release funds under false pretenses.
Notably, Stephen Ssekigozi has previously been linked to a similar fraud allegation reported in the May 7th, 2024 edition of Bukedde Newspaper.
In that case, he and accomplices allegedly, posed as members of an NRM Special Contracts Committee under a Presidential Task Force, have promised a government contract to supply generators and later defrauded another investor, Kuldip Singh Sagoo, of USD 573,996 (approximately UGX 2 billion) Despite 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 among other abuse of government institutions for fraudulent schemes, investor protection in Uganda and the continuous delays in apprehending high-profile suspects.
Legal observers now await the DPP’s decision on formal charges and whether the arrest will accelerate efforts to capture the remaining suspects.
