Socialite and businessman Christian Asiimwe, alias Don Chris, has been remanded to Luzira Prison after denying 127 counts of obtaining money by false pretences in connection with an alleged overseas recruitment scam.
Asiimwe appeared before City Hall Court Senior Principal Magistrate Grade One Nicholas Aisu on Tuesday, where he denied the charges. He was not represented by a lawyer.
Prosecution, led by Benjamin Amanya, Mercy Yamangusho and Miriam Akite, told court that investigations into the case had been completed and asked the magistrate to set a date for hearing.
“Investigations in the matter are complete,” the prosecution told court.
Mr Aisu subsequently remanded Asiimwe to Luzira Prison until September 21, when he is expected to return to court.
Asiimwe remained composed throughout the proceedings, maintaining steady eye contact with the magistrate as the charges were read to him.
The courtroom was packed with people believed to be among the complainants in the case, creating a tense atmosphere as proceedings got underway.
According to the seven charge sheets presented to court, Asiimwe, described as a director of Sky Pins Tours and Travel Company, allegedly obtained money from different people between 2023 and 2025 after promising to secure them jobs abroad.
The alleged destinations include Canada, Luxembourg, Europe, the United States, the Netherlands and Turkey.
The amounts allegedly obtained from individual complainants range from Shs1 million to Shs10 million. In one of the counts, prosecution alleges that Asiimwe obtained Shs10 million from a complainant after promising her a job in Canada.
Another count alleges that Shs9.2 million was obtained from a complainant who was allegedly promised employment in Canada.
The charges have been brought under Section 285 of the Penal Code Act, which criminalises obtaining money or property by false pretences.
An aggregation of the amounts listed in the seven charge sheets comes to about Shs725.68 million across 126 counts. However, the charge sheets appear to contain a typographical error in one count, where Shs7.7 billion is written in figures while the amount is stated as Shs7.7 million in words. The calculation therefore uses Shs7.7 million for that count.
The allegations largely follow a similar pattern. Prosecutors allege that Asiimwe and other people who are still at large received money from job seekers at the Sky Pins Tours and Travel Company offices in Ntinda, Nakawa Division, after promising to secure them international employment.
One charge sheet alleges that Shs7.2 million was obtained from a complainant who had been promised employment in Luxembourg, while another alleges that Shs7.7 million was obtained from a person promised a job in Canada.
The court case follows an earlier police investigation in which more than 500 alleged victims were reportedly recorded as complainants.
Police had previously alleged that the scheme targeted people seeking jobs in countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Qatar and Dubai, with applicants allegedly paying between Shs5 million and Shs10 million depending on the job and destination.
Asiimwe was arrested on August 27, 2026, at a bar in Zana, Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality, Wakiso District.
He remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
He will return to City Hall Court on September 21 as the case proceeds.
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