City Hall Court Grade one Magistrate Beatrice Kainza has adjourned a hearing of a case in which five people are accused of defrauding a Lebanese businessman Muhammad Soubhi Assi in a fake gold scam to March 5, 2018.
Five suspects, Stella Dindi, David Kironde (alias Sam Ssimbwa Daudi), Richard Kamugisha, Nasser Kibirige and Yazid Kabonge were arrested last month at Makerere University in Kampala following information linking them to a USD 200,000 (728 million Shillings) gold deal scam involving the 56-year-old Lebanese, a dealer in rare and precious gemstones.
They now face charges of fraud, impersonation, obtaining money by false pretense, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
This morning, the matter was due for hearing before Kainza, but the defence lawyer Simon Peter Musangala asked for more time to study the huge expert reports which were given to them by the state this morning and to analyze the available evidence.
Counsel Musangala further told court, that the documents will enable them to prepare a defence for the suspects who were granted bail last week by the City hall Court and later by the Law Development Centre Court where separate but similar charges were read against them.
However, the complainant Soubhi says the suspects and their lawyers are trying to buy time. He says however that he is ready to face them with all the evidence.
He argues that on their first appearance in court, their lawyer Musangala had approached him for an out of court settlement which he was willing to go for in case they paid his money. However, Soubhi says following their bail, they have since said they won't pay.