By Our Reporter
Prominent Ugandan lawyer Twebaze Drake has been remanded to Luzira Prison after being arraigned before the Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court on multiple criminal charges linked to a high-profile international fraud case.
Twebaze faces serious allegations including Obtaining Money by False Pretenses, Conspiracy to Defraud, and Forgery. The charges stem from an elaborate scheme carried out between September and December 2022, in which Twebaze and alleged accomplices reportedly defrauded $553,500 from Talib Antonio McDowell, a U.S. national and representative of KG Unlimited LLC, a company based in Florida, USA.
According to prosecution led by officials from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), in collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), the accused falsely claimed the funds were required as a statutory compliance fee for KG Unlimited LLC to be pre-qualified in a single-source government bidding process to supply a water plant to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF).
The court also heard that Twebaze and his co-conspirators forged official documents — including a letter purportedly authored by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) — to legitimize their claims and gain the victim’s trust.
The accused was formally charged in court earlier today and remanded until June 13, 2025, when he is expected to return for mention of the case.
The Anti-Corruption Unit confirmed the arrest and arraignment on X (formerly Twitter), signaling the government’s continued crackdown on white-collar crime and cross-border fraud involving Ugandan nationals.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the large sums involved and the stature of the accused within Uganda’s legal fraternity. If found guilty, Twebaze could face substantial penalties, including imprisonment and disbarment.
Investigations into possible accomplices are ongoing.