A Kampala renowned fraudster was arrested in gold scam. Jailes Bahati was arrested on Friday and he is being held at Kireka Special Crime unit.
Here is an overview of the scam as told by the American victim.
I was initially invited to Uganda by the Pastor Salomon and Remy to purchase 4kg of Gold bars. I arrived in Kampala, Uganda on May 24, 2019 and was picked up at the airport by a driver for Shabama Wealth. I was taken to hotel Royal Suites in Kampala. The following day I was taken to the offices of Shabama wealth and was shown the initial 4kg of gold nuggets we were to purchase. Present there was Remy, the Pastor Salomon and myself and a supposedly agent of the Uganda Revenue authority. This agent was there to protect the gold that was supposedly under the care of the Customs agent. We agreed to return the following day to make these nuggets into Gold Bars. The following day we all returned to the same office location and we proceeded to smelt the 4kg of gold nuggets and make them into gold bars. Before the smelting was done, a sum of $14,400USD in cash was given to Remy for the Royalties and taxes and fees owed for the 4kg. This was done and a sample of the nuggets were taken to the laboratory and tested as genuine 23.4kt gold. The following day I was to receive the documentation and certificates required to travel to Dubai and sell these 4kg of gold bars. These documents never came and I kept getting excuses from Remy that he was having problems getting a release from the Uganda Revenue authority because the gold placed at the revenue authority was 120kg and a minimum they could take out was 24kg. I only agreed to take 4kg initially but was convinced by the Pastor and Remy that everything was Ok and to please come up with the Royalties and fees for the 24kg. The Pastor assured me everything was fine. I trusted the Pastor because he was supposed to be a “Man of God” but this was my big mistake. I told the Pastor I did not trust Remy at all but he assured me everything was ok and I believed the Pastor. I traveled to Europe to obtain the remainder of the cash needed for the transaction and returned to Uganda after about a week to conclude the business arrangement. My date of arrival into Uganda this time was June 29, 2019. This time I was received at the airport by the Pastor and a driver. I was taken back to Royal Suites. The following day I met Jailes Bahati. He was more professional than Remy. I was told he was the main Director of the company and would be working with me from this point on. Jailes and I then agreed and signed a contract at Tropical law firm for a total of 1000kg of gold. We would do this transaction upon completion of the purchase of Pastor’s 120kg. We would
do the first 24kg and then return from Dubai and buy the additional 96kg of gold and then proceed with the new 1000kg contract. This contract was signed and validated at the attorney’s office. The following day we met at Shabama office and I gave Jailes and additional $20,000.USD in cash for partial payment of the royalties and fees. He agreed to wait for the remainder of the $50,000.00USD until he presented all required documentation needed to legally leave the Entebbe airport without any problems. A few days lapsed and finally Jailes shows up to the Royal Suites with all documentation and the 24kgs of gold bars. I then pay him the remainder of the $50,000.USD in cash and he gives me all documents. We head to the airport but the airport refused to allow the gold as carry-on and Jailes takes the Gold bars and tells me he is going to ship them to Dubai with Kenya Airways as secured cargo. I leave to Dubai by myself. The pastor mysteriously got a foot infection and said he trusted me to go by myself and I could wire the funds when I sold the gold in Dubai. I arrive in Dubai and the Gold never was delivered. Jailes gave me a fake website to tack the shipment, and he told me the gold was help up in customs at the UN Security while in transit in Kenya. I checked on this with a contact of mine in Nairobi and this turned out to be a lie. The gold was never shipped. I waited in Dubai over 2 weeks and no gold ever arrived. I realized all this was a scam from the beginning. I returned to Kampala and proceeded to file complaints with the proper authorities.
See attached documents below ;
