Renowned city lawyer Isaac Kyagaba has vehemently denied allegations linking him to an alleged shs18 billion gold fraud involving foreign investors.
Reports had earlier suggested that Kyagaba was part of a scheme involving Ugandan and Burundian individuals, with Oyztar Minerals Company Limited a Uganda based firm accused of defrauding Indonesian and Emirati investors.
However, Kyagaba’s legal team at Kirunda and Company Advocates has refuted these claims, labeling them baseless and defamatory.
In a statement, the lawyers emphasized that Kyagaba was never involved in any fraudulent activity related to the alleged gold transaction.
“He did not orchestrate any fraudulent scheme, neither is he implicated in one. Mr. Kyagaba has not at any time received the sum of $500,000 from PT HRTC Exploration and Production (PT HRTC) for any gold transaction as the story alleges,” the statement read.
Furthermore, the legal team clarified that Kyagaba never issued any customs declaration forms genuine or otherwise through the Uganda Revenue Authority concerning the alleged transaction.
While Kyagaba does provide legal representation to the proprietors of PT HRTC, the company that lodged a complaint with Ugandan authorities, his lawyers stress that no allegations have been made against him by his clients.
“The story and any references to our client are misleading and deliberately calculated solely to injure our client’s reputation,” the lawyers asserted.
They also criticized the media for failing to seek Kyagaba’s response before publishing the claims.
“At no time did anyone from any online media outlet make any effort to contact Mr. Kyagaba to verify any of the outlandish material that they have published to the global audience that the Internet offers. All references to Mr. Kyagaba in the said article are as patently false as they are contemptible and disdainful.”
Adding weight to Kyagaba’s defense, PT HRTC itself issued a statement on March 14, distancing him from the allegations. The company reaffirmed that he had no role in the purported fraud.
“On the contrary, the owners of PT HRTC have issued an unequivocal statement denying any such allegations and clearing our client’s name,” the statement read.
PT HRTC further dismissed claims that Kyagaba had received $500,000 and failed to remit it or that he had presented a fake customs declaration form, branding them as “completely false, misleading, and defamatory.”
“Neither Isaac Kyagaba nor Dentons has received any such funds as alleged. Isaac continues to provide legal counsel to PT HRTC Exploration and Production and its sister entities on key transactions that will bring significant value to the company and its partners, including Uganda,” the company stated.
The public has been urged to disregard the allegations, while law enforcement agencies have been called upon to investigate the source of the malicious claims and take action against those responsible.