The Group is implicated in attempting to defraud Enid Kukunda Ugx 725 million shillings from her Stanbic Bank Account/File Photo.
One of the suspects charged over an attempted Shs 725 million fraud targeting Stanbic Bank has opened negotiations with the State to resolve the case through a plea bargain. The development was disclosed on Monday before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, where Chief State Attorney Joan Keko told the court that Elizabeth Mbabazi, a Rwandan businesswoman, had formally expressed interest in entering a plea agreement with the prosecution.
Keko informed the court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa, that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was receptive to the proposal and that negotiations with Mbabazi and her lawyers were already at an advanced stage. The prosecution alleges that Mbabazi, together with others still at large, orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to fraudulently access Kukunda’s Stanbic Bank account at the Acacia Mall branch in Kampala.
According to court records, on October 3, 2025, the suspects allegedly forged a Ugandan national identity card in the name of Enid Kukunda, bearing National Identification Number CF690801029W6F and card number 010400773. The forged ID was allegedly used to falsely claim ownership of bank account number 9030017562788, with the intention of withdrawing Shs 725 million.
The prosecution contends that Mbabazi presented herself as the account holder and tendered the forged national ID together with a fraudulent withdrawal slip bearing a forged signature of Kukunda. However, the transaction reportedly raised suspicion among bank officials, who flagged the irregularities and alerted authorities, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
The State maintains that the documents were knowingly and fraudulently presented as genuine with the intention of defrauding both the bank and the rightful account holder. Investigations further indicate that the suspects had conspired as early as October 1, 2025, to execute the fraud. Court documents list Sarah Nankumba and Emmanuel Emiriat as accomplices still at large, alleged to have participated in preparing the forged documents.
When the matter came up in court on Monday, Keko disclosed that Mbabazi had reported receiving threats to her life while on remand at Luzira Women’s Prison, raising concerns about her safety. The prosecution consequently applied for Mbabazi’s transfer to another detention facility, an application the court granted, ordering that she be transferred to Kigo Prison.
Meanwhile, the prosecution opposed bail applications filed by two other accused persons — Faridah Kobusingye, a resident of Masanafu on Lugala Road in Kampala, and Flower Njawuzi, also known as Florence Mega Kanywani, a businesswoman from Buddo, Nsangi Sub-county in Wakiso District.
The State relied on affidavits sworn by Detective Sergeant Ivan Nsekanabo of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kampala Metropolitan East, who stated that the case involves an organised criminal scheme aimed at fraudulently withdrawing Shs 725 million from Stanbic Bank. Nsekanabo’s affidavit further noted that one of the proposed sureties, Mapeera Wycliffe, was a tenant without known property and had previously been arrested over allegations of extorting money from individuals seeking national identity cards.
The prosecution also told the court that Kobusingye faces additional charges in similar matters. She is reportedly charged before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court with money laundering, electronic fraud, theft, and conspiracy to commit a felony, and is also under investigation in a separate case involving the alleged theft of Shs 400 million from ABSA Bank.
Regarding Njawuzi, the prosecution similarly linked her to the alleged ABSA Bank fraud, arguing that her proposed sureties were not substantial. Based on the gravity of the offences, the accused persons’ alleged involvement in multiple investigations, and concerns over the credibility of their sureties, the prosecution argued that granting bail would not serve the interests of justice. The court has fixed March 2, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications.
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