The vice president of the Uganda Young Democrats, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, is being investigated by the police for fraud. Sources say Mbidde was reported to the police for issuing bounced cheques to two people.
Mbidde, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Makindye West parliamentary seat last year, is already facing separate charges of issuing a bounced cheque and obtaining money by false pretence. He appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court today to answer to the charges.
The presiding magistrate, Samuel Masaba, dismissed the first charge of issuing a bounced cheque, ruling that it was defective since the prosecution did not produce the alleged complainant in the case.
Mbidde pleaded not guilty to the second charge of obtaining money by false pretence. The prosecution alleges that Mbidde obtained 2.2 million shillings from a man identified as Adidu Iga, promising to process a Japanese visa for him. Mbidde was released on a court bail of 100,000 shillings.
The beleaguered politician was last month charged with yet another case of issuing a bounced cheque of one million shillings to a Kampala businessman, Swaiga Luyirika.
