South Sudanese Tycoon Lawrence Malong Jailed In Uganda Over Fraud

CAPTION: Malong in court. [Photo courtesy of Daily Monitor Uganda ]

On Thursday, three individuals including South Sudanese “businessman” Lawrence Malong Lual Yor Junior were remanded to to Luzira Prison over alleged fraud in connection to obtaining money by false pretence.

The 30-year-old was charged together with a Congolese broker Mr. Mike Okitalunyi Lota and Gavana Thaddeus Zikusooka alias James Byaruhanga, also a “businessman” in Kajansi Central Town, Wasiko District in Uganda.

The three were arraigned before the Magistrate's Court at Buganda Road before Ms Joan Ketty Acaa where they denied both their charges.

It had been reported that between February 2017 and December 2018 at different places in Kampala, Malong and his accomplices obtained 1.9 million dollars from businessman Wegnew Desire purporting that they were selling him 150kg of gold.

Malong, who often showcases his flashy lifestyle on social media, was arrested late last year by Internal Security Organisation (ISO) operatives in November 2018 in regard to investigations that linked him to gold scams where foreigners had lost billions of shillings. Photo courtesy of Daily Monitor Uganda According to Mr. Wagnew, Mr. Lawrence Malong told him he was a licenced gold trader while Mr Lota offered himself as the seller.

The judge then made the decision to remand the suspects until the 4th of April 2019 for further mention of their case after defence lawyer Mr. Fred Eritasa pleaded with the court to set a shorter adjournment to enable the suspects to apply for bail.