The Director of Public Prosecutions has taken over the case in which Ugandan businessman Patrick Bitature and his wife Carol Bitature are accused of fraud by a South African company.
In a January, 23, 2024 letter, Buganda Road Resident Chief State Attorney Joan Keko, acting on behalf of the DPP informed court of government’s interest in pursuing the case which was previously a private prosecution.
The development comes on the backdrop of criminal summons issued on January 22, 2024 by the court requiring the couple to appear in court on February 6, 2024, to answer seven counts of conspiring to defraud over $26 million from South African money lender Vantage Mezzanine Fund 11 Partnership.
The case
Bitature and his wife Carol Bitature being the directors of Elgon Terrace Ltd and Simba Telecom are wanted to answer for their 2019 and 2020 actions of fraudulently altering shares of their companies with intent to defraud Vantage Mezzaine Fund 11 partnership a South African creditor of $26, 486, 634.78 being the total outstanding debt as of December 2019.
The couple is also accused of filing false annual returns in respect of Elgon Terrace Limited at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau in order to cheat the company of its value in security interests on charged shares .
The couple will therefore answer charges of giving false statements as directors , fraudulent alteration of shares by directors and conspiracy to defraud.
