City Lawyer Remanded for Alleged Shs 193 Million Land Fraud

City lawyer Jimmy Awanga has been remanded to Luzira Prison following allegations of obtaining Shs 193 million by false pretenses. Awanga, 49, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court and entered a plea of not guilty.

The charge sheet indicates that Awanga is accused of swindling Ronald Mutebi out of money by falsely claiming to sell land located in Kyadondo Block 82, Plot 3650, measuring 1.820 hectares at Kiryamuli. The alleged offense occurred on February 20, 2025, in Kampala.

Awanga’s defense lawyer informed the court of their intent to apply for bail, noting that relevant documents were uploaded to the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS). However, Magistrate Kidasa stated she could not access the documents via the court network, preventing her from proceeding with the bail application.

The matter was adjourned to June 4, 2026, for a bail hearing. The prosecution was also ordered to disclose evidence to the defense. Pius Tebandeke attended as watching brief counsel for the complainant, Mutebi.

Investigations began after Mutebi filed a complaint alleging fraud in the land deal. Police reportedly found that the land was to be sold for Shs 600 million by Stockwell Investments Capital Limited. Awanga allegedly acted on behalf of the company, receiving Shs 150 million into his personal bank account and an additional Shs 43 million later, purportedly to clear encumbrances and hand over vacant possession.

Prosecutors claim Awanga subsequently became uncontactable, failing to complete the sale or return the funds. The source for this article is The Observer (Uganda).