Embattled former Duck Hunters Services Limited managing director Muhammed Ali, the key suspect arrested over a $3.5m (sh13b) gold scam, has been transferred to the Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS).
DIS, formerly the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, is the intelligence arm of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), working with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), arrested businessman Mohammed, a Ugandan of Somali origin, for allegedly defrauding investors in a fake gold deal.
It is alleged that the suspect was on Wednesday evening transferred to DIS to assist in probing the complex web of gold fraud, the actual amount of money stolen and other individuals involved in the scam.
They will work together with SHACU and CID to unravel the scam,” a senior operative privy to the investigations confirmed.
The involvement of the army into the matter comes in the wake of the involvement of another suspect, who was allegedly dressed in full military uniform and identified himself as Maj. Gen. James. It also comes after more complaints were registered against Mohammed with several victims recording statements over gold fraud. Ali Said Jamal, who is the majority shareholder of the company based in the US, confirmed Mohammed’s sacking and shared a letter dated January 11, 2026, relieving him of his duties.
Jamal revealed that they also sacked Peter Okaka, the company’s operations manager, who he accused of working with Mohammed on January 31.Both sacking letters were copied to the Makindye division resident city commissioner, commandant private security organisations at the Uganda Police Force and the commandant Mineral Police Unit.
COMPLAINT: UGANDAN GOLD SYNDICATE
As requested, I submit this formal complaint in my capacity as Chairman of the above-named Company against a Gold Syndicate operating within Uganda. This Syndicate appears to have established a vast and well-coordinated network across the entire gold value chain (from sourcing and documentation to export facilitation) for the purpose of defrauding legitimate international financiers and traders.
Summary of Allegations
The Gold Syndicate and its associates are implicated in the following fraudulent activities (all evidence is on record and available upon request):
- Issuing falsified import documents purporting to originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda.
- Producing forged export permits, allegedly signed by Ruth Nankabirwa Assentawu.
- Executing fraudulent Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) that required my company (the financier) to make payments exceeding USD 700,000 to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) — payments which, upon verification, were never made (this excludes indirect costs of Complainant which can be provided on request).
- Generating false invoices and commercial documents to support fictitious transactions.
This fraudulent conduct has caused severe financial distress to my company, placing it on the brink of liquidation. It is evident that the Syndicate’s sole intent was to misappropriate investment funds under false pretences, in violation of Ugandan law, URA regulations, customs procedures, and binding contractual obligations.
In support of this complaint, I have also attached a third-party grievance from another victim of this same Syndicate, confirming that this criminal enterprise continues to operate and damage Uganda’s international reputation in the gold trade.
Commitment to Cooperation
I submit this complaint with full intention to cooperate with Ugandan authorities to facilitate a comprehensive investigation and prosecution of those responsible. All evidence in possession of the complainant will be made available to assist in ensuring that justice is served.
I further seek the guidance and intervention of relevant Ugandan officials to ensure a fair resolution and to support the recovery of my company’s financial losses, so as to avoid the liquidation of Xterra Trading FZCO (a DMCC-registered trading company in Dubai).
Identified Members of the Gold Syndicate:
(Passport details provided in annexure)
- Richard Yvon Tuema– Seller and Syndicate Leader (DRC citizen)
- Hugues Yoka “Hugo Stone”– Seller and Syndicate Leader (DRC citizen)
- Joshua “Jay” Rosborough– Export Facilitator & SPA Contract Manager (U.S. citizen)
- Francis Siko– Exporter, Washa Lidjiwe Investments (Ugandan citizen)
- Elizabeth Esther Steenkamp– Exporter, Washa Lidjiwe Investments (Kenyan citizen)
- Christopher Wamala– Exporter, Elves Minerals Uganda (Ugandan citizen)
Background of Transactions
Deal 1 – 100kg Transaction (March/April 2025)
- Seller & Exporter:Washa Lidjiwe Investments (for Richard Yvon Tuema)
- Buyer:Al Sahab, Dubai
- Financier:LFH Group (Pty) Ltd, on behalf of Xterra Trading FZCO
The Financier remitted over USD 600,000 for payment to URA (taxes, royalties, insurance) to facilitate export of 100kg (23K Au) to Dubai. The Seller and Exporter falsely claimed that the URA required a minimum tranche size of 450kg per shipment due to the quantities of gold brought into the country by the Seller, which was later proven untrue, as no PRN references or URA confirmations were ever provided. The Exporter has indicated verbally, he is prepared to work with Ugandan authorities, as he is aware that there are questionable activities related to import of Gold from DRC into Uganda under the ring leading Syndicate control of Mr. Tuema.
Upon breach, the Seller offered an 8kg settlement, requiring an additional USD 72,000 from the Complainant, again, represented as URA fees, under false pretences.
Deal 2 – 8kg Transaction (August 2025)
- Exporter:Elves Minerals Ltd (Christopher Wamala for Richard Yvon Tuema)
- Buyer:Al Sahab, Dubai
- Financier:LFH Group (Pty) Ltd, for Xterra Trading FZCO
A payment of USD 68,360 (of the USD 72,000 agreed) was made for URA taxes and royalties. Subsequently, the Exporter falsely claimed that URA had flagged three open transactions (100kg, 8kg, and 25kg) requiring consolidation under one export permit totalling 241.5kg — and requested additional funding.
Upon inquiry, the Exporter admitted under pressure that he had paid Mr. Tuema directly, in violation of the SPA, confirming internal collusion. Refer Annexure 2 for Exporter written confirmation that he did not pay URA taxes and royalties as required in SPA (confirming fraud of Financier and URA of taxes for export).
Deal 3 – 25kg Transaction (Initiated Without Knowledge of Xterra)
- Seller:Congo Business Solutions Services (Richard Yvon Tuema)
- Exporter:Gemstone Refinery Ltd
- Buyer:Al Sahab, Dubai
- Financier:Tier 1 Global Solutions FZ LLC
This transaction, financed by a Japanese consortium, was similarly “blocked” by URA according to the Seller’s claim. Independent consultant Mr. Tarine Keve Fairman raised concerns regarding forged documentation and identified structural similarities consistent with a sophisticated smuggling and fraud network. Mr. Fairman has expressed intent to support this complaint.
Purpose of Complaint
This complaint seeks to:
- Alert the Government of Uganda and relevant authorities to the existence of an organized Gold Syndicate operating fraudulently within Uganda.
- Request investigation and verification of all evidence related to this complaint.
- Ensure accountability for the primary suspect Mr. Richard Yvon Tuema (DRC) and his collaborators.
- Prevent further financial and reputational harm to Uganda’s legitimate gold sector.
The Syndicate’s method involves:
- Smuggling gold from the DRC using falsified import permits.
- Recruiting Mr. Joshua “Jay” Rosborough to engage foreign investors under the guise of legitimate export operations.
- Manipulating SPAs to extort “URA payments” that are never remitted.
- Falsely invoking URA or Customs directives to extort additional funds under fabricated “tranche” requirements.
Conclusion
I founded Xterra Trading FZCO to promote lawful and transparent gold trade between Uganda and Dubai, supported by a legitimate long-term supply agreement with Al Sahab, Dubai.
Despite due diligence and professional consulting, my company was defrauded by this organized Gold Syndicate — resulting in devastating financial and reputational damage. At 56 years of age, I now face liquidation of both my business and personal assets with total losses of exceeding $800,000.00 for over 7 months.
I respectfully request urgent consideration and investigation by Ugandan authorities into this matter. It is my belief that many other victims exist who lack the means to come forward.
My only objective is recovery of verified costs and restoration of my company’s ability to conduct honest trade from Uganda to Dubai.
I sincerely appreciate your attention, cooperation, and guidance toward a just and lawful resolution.
Brian Harkin – Chairman
Xterra Trading FZCO
Annexure1: Identified Members of the Gold Syndicate:
- Richard Yvon Tuema– Seller and Syndicate Leader (DRC citizen and Belgium Passport)
- Hugues Yoka “Hugo Stone”– Seller and Syndicate Leader (DRC citizen)
- Joshua “Jay” Rosborough– Export Facilitator & SPA Contract Manager (U.S. citizen)
- Francis Siko– Exporter, Washa Lidjiwe Investments (Ugandan citizen)
- Elizabeth Esther Steenkamp– Exporter, Washa Lidjiwe Investments (Kenyan citizen)
- Christopher Wamala– Exporter, Elves Minerals Uganda (Ugandan citizen)
Richard Yvon Tuema – Seller and Syndicate Leader (DRC citizen and Belgium Passport)
Hugues Yoka “Hugo Stone” – Seller and Syndicate Leader (DRC citizen)
Mr. Yoka is the business partner of Mr. Tuema, and they collaborate on daily operations in Uganda (passport below). In addition, Mr. Yoka is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dacle International, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugues-yoka-9883ba88?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- https://dacleint.com/
- Joshua “Jay” Rosborough – Export Facilitator & SPA Contract Manager (U.S. citizen)
Francis Siko & Elizabeth Esther Steenkamp – Exporter, Washa Lidjiwe Investments (Ugandan and Kenyan citizens)
Elizabeth Esther Steenkamp (passport not provided) is a partner of Francis Siko in Washa Lidjiwe Investments. She works daily from the company’s offices alongside Francis, located at the address below. Since defrauding us, Elizabeth has been charged with obtaining money by false pretence and conspiracy to commit a felony in a high-value gold fraud case. She was arraigned before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court and remanded.
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/XYo1mjwxLd383gqm9
- https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/kenyan-national-remanded-in-uganda-over-bogus-NV_220782
Annexure 2: Statements & Documentary Evidence:
2.1 Context & Statement from Exporter (8kg) admitting fraudulent payment;
Following numerous attempts by the Complainant to obtain the URA PRN number for the 8 kg settlement and the corresponding Customs Export Permit from the Exporter (Mr. Wamala), the Complainant was contacted by Mr. Wamala on 10 October 2025.
During this communication, Mr. Wamala confirmed that the funds received from the Complainant, intended for payment of royalties and taxes to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), as stipulated in the signed Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), were instead paid to Mr. Tuema, identified as the leader of the gold syndicate. The Exporter allegedly made this payment so that Mr. Tuema could facilitate the smuggling of the 100 kg and 8 kg consignments to Tanzania.
The Complaint was subsequently directed by Mr Tuema to contact Mr Patrick Beligo operating Coppin Mining Minerals Group in Tanzania, who has confirmed, in writing that, he has 8kg consignment and attempted to extort further payments from Complainant and confirmed, when queried in detail, that the consignment has no documentation and therefore smuggled into Tanzania from Uganda and received illegally. Mr Patrick Beligo represented that he has received a total of 108kg in Tanzania from Mr Tuema. Coppin Mining and Minerals Group contact details provided as follow;
- Coppin Mining Minerals Group || Buy Gold Bars from Tanzania
- Kinodoni P.O.Box 14128 Dar es salaam Tanzania
- Patrick Beligo direct number +255 769 651 120
When pressed by the Complainant via WhatsApp to provide proof of payment to Mr. Tuema, Mr. Wamala responded (as shown below) confirming that he allegedly paid the amount in cash to Mr. Tuema. This action constitutes a clear breach of the SPA and amounts to fraud against both the URA—by evading taxes due—and the Complainant, who possesses proof of payment made to the Exporter.
Final correspondence with Exporter (13 October 2025) prior to Complaint submission.
Context & Statement from Exporter (100kg);
Mr. Francis Siko was requested to provide the URA PRN number, to which he made the following admissions:
In April 2025, Mr. Siko confirmed that he received payment from the Financier and subsequently made a payment to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) of approximately USD 600,000. The Financier retains a record of this transaction, supported by the corresponding invoice.
Mr. Siko further alleged that, at that time, Mr. Tuema exported approximately 7,000 kg of gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda. This activity purportedly led to a URA system revision, limiting export declarations to a maximum of 450 kg.
According to Mr. Siko, Mr. Tuema then approached the border and bribed a URA clerk to delete all related entries from the URA system in an attempt to reset the database. When Mr. Siko later checked the URA system, he reported that the relevant PRN record had disappeared as a result of these deletions.
The Complainant subsequently requested that Mr. Siko provide proof of payment to the URA; however, Mr. Siko has neither acknowledged nor provided any such documentation. When questioned regarding the alleged import of 7,000 kg of gold, Mr. Siko claimed that it was brought into Uganda by Mr. Tuema. He admitted awareness of certain irregularities in the import process but refused to elaborate further when asked whether he knew the gold had been smuggled.
Unfortunately Mr. Siko made these allegations and affirmations telephonically to the Complainant and has failed to supply any evidence substantiating his claims. He did, however, state that he is willing to cooperate with Ugandan authorities should formal charges arise in connection with the gold syndicate. Mr. Siko further alleged that he, too, is a victim of Mr. Tuema’s actions.
On 13 October 2025, Mr. Siko was contacted again after failing to provide any evidence to substantiate his allegations. During this discussion, he recanted his earlier statement of 10 October 2025 and provided the following admissions:
- Upon receiving approximately USD 600,000 from the Financier under the SPA—an amount invoiced by Mr. Siko for payment to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) covering taxes, royalties, and insurance—he admitted to having paid the entire sum in cash to Mr. Tuema, thereby committing fraud against the URA and breaching the terms of the signed SPA.
- He further stated that he considered himself “free and clear,” as Mr. Tuema had offered an 8 kg gold settlement to the Financier (under the 100 kg contract) as compensation and had subsequently handed the matter over to Mr. Wamala, whom Mr. Siko had recommended as an alternative exporter.
- When informed that Mr. Wamala had committed the same fraudulent act, Mr. Siko dismissed any responsibility, asserting that it was not his concern and that he bore no further liability.
- When pressed further on the basis that he had defrauded the URA of approximately USD 600,000, being funds specifically intended for the Ugandan Government under the SPA, he refused to accept the accusation, despite being confronted with the payment evidence linked to an invoice issued by Washa Lidjiwe Investments, the company for which he is the registered Director.
2.2 Preliminary Evidence and confirmation of documentation available on request
The following is a non-exhaustive list of evidence available from the Complainant, which can be provided upon request:
- Duly signed Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) between the Parties covering the 100 kg, 8 kg settlement, and 25 kg transactions.
- Proof of payment from the Financier in accordance with invoices issued by the Seller and Exporters for all executed SPAs.
- Documentation of the Complainant’s incurred costs, including flight tickets, accommodation, insurance, and related expenses.
- Photographic and video evidence from the Complainant’s visits to Uganda, showing activities at the refinery where the gold was processed into bars and assayed (purity verified), as well as meetings with Mr. Tuema, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Rosborough.
All of the above evidence can be furnished upon request by the Ugandan Authorities.
2.3 Suspected fraudulent materials provided by alleged Gold Syndicate related to proof of import and subsequent export
Below was provided to Complainant after confirmation was requested from Complainant related to 7000kg import alleged by Gold Syndicate. Complainant understands below to be fraudulent ‘fake’ as when Complainant requested proof of engagement with Ugandan Authority, this request was ignored
The Complainant requested that Mr. Rosborough provide proof of export capability and was subsequently presented with the following document, purportedly issued as a Customs-approved export permit. However, the Complainant has strong grounds to believe that this document is fraudulent or fabricated (“fake”), as members of the Gold Syndicate have consistently ignored multiple requests to provide the corresponding URA PRN, proof of payment to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), or any other supporting evidence to verify the document’s authenticity.
