By The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), has arraigned three suspects before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on charges of electronic fraud and obtaining money by false pretenses in a $416,000 scam targeting a South African investor.
The accused are Dr. Mulyansaka Charles, alias Dr. Muo Dickens, the alleged director of Pigeon Growers Uganda Ltd; Drake Twebaze, alias Dr. Karuhanga John; and Watum Peter, all of whom allegedly posed as representatives of the Ministry of Works and Transport.
According to the prosecution, between June 2023 and July 2025, the trio conned Justine Stocks, a South African investor and director of TMA Africa Limited, of USD 416,000 (approximately Shs1.5 billion) by pretending to secure for him a government contract to supply AdBlue chemicals to the Ministry of Works and Transport and to build an AdBlue chemical plant in Uganda.
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Investigations reveal that in 2023, Dr. Mulyansaka, using the false identity of Dr. Muo Dickens, contacted the investor via WhatsApp, claiming to be a sourcing agent working on behalf of the Ministry of Works. He later invited the investor to Uganda and arranged meetings at private facilities, which he falsely presented as Ministry offices.
During these meetings, Mulyansaka introduced Drake Twebaze and Watum Peter as officials from the Ministry. The suspects allegedly told the investor that to qualify for the contract, he needed to form a locally registered company and recommended Bloom Advocates, a local law firm, to facilitate the process.
The investor subsequently wired USD 416,000 in several installments to Bloom Advocates’ accounts under the pretext that the funds would cover prequalification fees, performance security, bank charges, tax certificates, and registration costs. The money was never used for any legitimate government business.
The accused face multiple counts of electronic fraud, obtaining money by false pretenses, uttering false documents, forgery, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
When they appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, Dr. Mulyansaka Charles and Watum Peter were remanded to Luzira Prison, while their co-accused, Drake Twebaze, remains at large. The case has been adjourned to November 4 for mention.
Authorities have cautioned the public, particularly foreign investors, to exercise due diligence when approached with offers purporting to involve government contracts, warning that fraudsters continue to exploit the names of public institutions to orchestrate scams.
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