South Sudanese national, Malong Lual Yor ordered to pay sh7b over fraud

Malong was found guilty and convicted over obtaining sh7b through fraud from two Ethiopians in a bogus gold transaction (bukedde.co.ug)

KAMPALA - The Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala, has ordered a South Sudanese businessman to refund sh7b that he obtained by false pretence from an Ethiopian.

Justice Lawrence Gidudu ordered Lawrence Malong Lual Yor, Mike Okita Lunyi and Thadeus Gavana Zikusooka to refund the money to Abebe Balay Engda.

Gidudu said Malong was the initiator and the master planner of the fraud in which he defrauded Engda of $1.9m (about sh7b).

“The amount of money involved was colossal, $1.9m, in addition to other expenses of travel, meals and accommodation. The complainant was brought to his knees financially. The convicts shall jointly and severally compensate prosecution witness (Engda) to the tune of $1.9m,” Justice Gidudu said.

Malong was found guilty and convicted over obtaining sh7b through fraud from two Ethiopians in a bogus gold transaction.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Okita and Zikusooka were each sentenced to two years in jail.

“Malong being the master planner has taken the brunt of punishment of three years imprisonment on obtaining money by false pretence. He lived large at the pain of his victims,” Gidudu said.

While sentencing the accused last week, Justice Gidudu said a custodial sentence imposed on all convicts, is meant to protect innocent members of the public who may wish to transact in gold business in  Uganda.

“The reputation that trading in gold business is risky and must be contained by punishment to those who use the trade to cheat the public,”  Gidudu said. background Prosecution, led by chief state attorney Marion Acio,  said when Malong and Okita met Engda and Wagnew in  South Sudan, they proposed a business plan of gold to them.

On the face of it, Balay and Wagnew were convinced by the proposal, but were naïve and little did they know that they would lose $1.9m.

According to the prosecution, Malong told Balay and Wegnew that he does a lot of gold business in Kampala, and urged them to partner with him to invest in gold business,  saying it was lucrative.

After agreeing on how to start the business in 2017, the complainants travelled from  South Sudan to Kampala,  and they met at Munyonyo,  where the two Ethiopians were introduced to Zikusooka aka James Byaruhanga. 

Byaruhanga told the complainants that he was a  clearing agent.

Prosecution said after paying  $1.9m to Malong, Okita and  Gavana, they never delivered the gold as they claimed. Malong has appealed against the decision, challenging his conviction and sentence.

Who is Malong?

Malong came into the limelight in 2019 when he posted a video of himself on social media ‘drowning’ in a pile of US dollar notes.

He filmed himself lying on a bed covered in $100 bills and he claims that his wealth comes from Jesus. Malong, 32, said Jesus has connected him to many friends in South Sudan and he was able to get oil transactions from which he derived his wealth, among other sources of income. 

He has been sanctioned by US over allegations of money laundering. During the trial, the flamboyant Malong bragged that he would pay sh73b to the Government if the state can prove that he obtained money by false pretence.