Balaam Impersonator Remanded to Prison

The Standard, Utilities, and Wildlife Court in Kampala has remanded a Businessman Andrew Mark Asiimwe to Luzira prison for alleged impersonation and attempted electronic fraud. Asiimwe, who hails from Bwera Mpondwe in Kasese district, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Sanura Nambozo.

According to court records, between January 2023 and July 2023, Asiimwe falsely portrayed himself as Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi and attempted to defraud John Twinomugisha. He solicited money for a non-existent project called the MK Girl Child project, claiming it was associated with the MK Movement, a group supporting Muhoozi Kainerugaba's potential presidency.

The court heard that Asiimwe tried to solicit 49,000 pounds from Twinomugisha through electronic communication. Initially, Asiimwe denied the charges but later pleaded guilty after they were read to him again. He expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness, citing financial difficulties as the reason for his criminal activities.

Security records revealed that Asiimwe had been arrested in the previous year for a similar offense involving opening a Facebook account in the name of Gen Salim Saleh and defrauding people.

Asiimwe confessed that his motivation for committing these crimes stemmed from being a victim of fraud himself in December 2020, where he allegedly lost 200,000 shillings to someone claiming to be Gen Salim Saleh's personal assistant.

Asiimwe has been remanded until July 25th, 2023, while the prosecution prepares to present brief facts before his conviction.