Date: [June 10, 2025]
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), working in partnership with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), has arraigned Mr. Twebaze Drake, a prominent lawyer, before the Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court on multiple charges, including Obtaining Money by False Pretenses, Conspiracy to Defraud, and Forgery.
September and December 2022, in Kampala City, Mr. Twebaze and others still at large allegedly defrauded Mr. Talib Antonio McDowell of KG Unlimited LLC, Florida, USA, of USD 553,500 (approximately UGX 2 billion).
The accused reportedly claimed that the money was required as a statutory compliance fee for pre-qualification to participate in a single-source bidding process for the supply of a water plant to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries, and Fisheries—a process which was fictitious.
Additionally, Mr. Twebaze and his co-accused allegedly forged a letter to KG Unlimited LLC, purporting it to have been authored by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) to bolster their fraudulent scheme.
This case highlights the dangers of sophisticated fraud schemes that not only target government institutions but also damage investor confidence in Uganda. SH-ACU, together with its partner agencies, remains steadfast in bringing to justice all individuals who exploit the legal and procurement systems for personal gain.