In a dramatic turn of events at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court, Ssegujja Hassan, one of the co-accused in a high-profile fraud case, has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against city lawyer Balondemu David. This comes after Ssegujja entered a plea bargain agreement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), admitting to charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Ssegujja was convicted on all three charges. The court ruled that he must either pay a fine of UGX 1.5 million for each count or face two years in prison per charge. His cooperation with the ODPP means he will serve as a key witness in the ongoing case against Balondemu, who is also the Chairperson of the Kampala City Land Board.
According to his testimony, Ssegujja admitted that he helped Balondemu forge medical documents that were meant to support a bail application. These fake documents were part of a wider plot involving the alleged fraudulent acquisition of over UGX 2.2 billion from an American company. The revelations have added a new twist to an already controversial case.
What’s even more shocking is Ssegujja’s confession that Balondemu defrauded him of UGX 10 million. Balondemu had promised to protect him from arrest and prosecution by using his supposed influence with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU) and the ODPP. Ssegujja now says it was all a lie.
Over the years, Balondemu has publicly accused prosecutors and investigators of corruption. But with these latest developments, it appears he was the one misusing their names to trick and defraud others. This case exposes how some individuals may hide behind the law while secretly exploiting it for personal gain.
As the trial continues, all eyes are now on the next steps of the ODPP and how Balondemu will respond to these damaging accusations from his former accomplice.
