By: GOLD MINERS CLUB
KAMPALA, Uganda, October 29, 2026. A serving Ugandan army officer and two civilians are facing trial before a military court over an alleged gold deal that cost a foreign investor millions of dollars.
What happened in court
A Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer and two others have been charged before the General Court Martial over allegations of defrauding an investor of $2.4m (about Sh13b) in a purported gold deal. The accused are Maj Nicholas Ntakirwa, also known as Gen James, attached to the Directorate of Operations, Land Forces; Mohammed Ali, a director of Duck Hunter Security Company Limited; and businessman Trevor Besigye. newvisionnewvision
Ntakirwa was arraigned on Tuesday, October 27, before the General Court Martial sitting in Makindye, Kampala, and remanded to military custody with his two co-accused. The suspects denied the charges. monitormonitor
The allegations
According to the prosecution, in September 2025 Ntakirwa, allegedly aided by Ali and Besigye, presented himself as “Gen James” and obtained money from Ibrahim Gafar Mohammed Elsawi, an investor with MAPSCO General Trading LLC. The money was allegedly taken as payment for gold that was never delivered. newvision
An investigative account by The African Mirror describes the same period as part of a wider fraud involving Dubai-based investors. It says the 30 kilograms of gold, worth USD 2.4 million, vanished from a facility operated by the man who had brokered the deal. The report also lists a separate earlier transaction involving 10kg of gold at USD 700,000, which would put the total fraud at USD 3.5 million. theafricanmirrortheafricanmirror
How the case reached the courts
The case drew attention at the highest level of government. President Museveni wrote to the Inspector General of Police about a letter dated June 29, 2026 from two gold buyers, Gafar Ibrahim and Nagi Mohammed, and named “Gen. James” as one of the suspects. He also asked the Minister of Minerals, Dr. Monica Musenero, to address the large number of gold dealers operating in the country. newvisionnewvision
Euro Gold Refinery CEO Benard Feni was arrested alongside the army officer, Ali and Besigye, and later released on police bond. newvision
The case has had further developments. Reports indicate that Ali was re-arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the CID over documents allegedly forged to secure his release on bail. Coverage of the case also says investigators are still pursuing other suspects who are said to have fled. All of these claims remain allegations, and the accused have not been convicted of anything. ground
A wider pattern of gold fraud
The case is one of several gold-related fraud prosecutions in Uganda this year. In August, four police officers were dismissed over their alleged involvement in a $4 million gold fraud scam. According to the Police Annual Crime Report for 2025, authorities registered 135 gold fraud cases. Of these, 83 remained under active inquiry and 41 were submitted to court, with five convictions so far. observermonitor
Analysts say fraudsters often exploit the aura of authority that comes with claimed ties to the military or security services. Involvement of army or security figures in mineral trading can give private parties a sense of enforceability that they could not otherwise offer. theafricanmirror
What happens next
The accused remain in custody as the General Court Martial process continues. Under Ugandan law, a conviction could also support civil asset-recovery proceedings, although these tend to move slowly. Until a verdict, all three men are presumed innocent.
News References
- Daily Monitor, “Top UPDF soldier, two others remanded over Shs13b gold scam targeting foreign investor,” Oct 27, 2026: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/top-updf-soldier-two-others-remanded-over-shs13b-gold-scam-targeting-foreign-investor–5647816
- New Vision, “UPDF officer charged over alleged Sh13b gold scam,” Oct 28, 2026: https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/updf-officer-charged-over-alleged-sh13b-gold-NV_243098_102026
- New Vision, “Euro Gold Refinery boss released on police bond over sh13b gold scam,” Oct 5, 2026: https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/euro-gold-refinery-boss-released-on-police-bo-NV_241872_102026
- The African Mirror, “Fool’s gold on the Nile: How Ugandan investigators unravelled a UGX 13 billion fake-gold conspiracy”: https://theafricanmirror.africa/news/fools-gold-on-the-nile-how-ugandan-investigators-unravelled-a-ugx-13-billion-fake-gold-conspiracy/
- Ground News (aggregating Spy Uganda and others), “Shs13Bn Gold Scam Twist: Businessman Muhammad Ali Re-Arrested Over Fake Bail Papers”: https://ground.news/article/shs13bn-gold-scam-twist-businessman-muhammad-ali-re-arrested-over-fake-bail-papers-as-investigators-hunt-fleeing-accomplices
- Daily Monitor, “Uganda police sack officers caught guarding illegal gold refinery in Shs15 billion fraud,” Aug 31, 2026: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-police-sack-officers-caught-guarding-illegal-gold-refinery-in-shs15-billion-fraud-5577356
- The Observer (Uganda), “Four police officers dismissed over $4m gold fraud scam”: https://observer.ug/news/four-police-officers-dismissed-over-4m-gold-fraud-scam/
