Lawrence Lual Malong, 31, a South Sudanese national who is arguably the most wanted gold scammer in East Africa to an extent that he attracted attention in Kenya has been jailed in Uganda.
K24 Digital has established that Malong who once featured in a local television station was on Tuesday, August 17, sentenced to six years in prison by the Ugandan Anti-Corruption court.
Malong was sentenced alongside a Congolese national Mike Okitalunyi Lota and a Ugandan lawyer Gavana Thaddeus Zhikusoka alias James Byaruhanga over a ksh100 million gold scam.
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Malong has been jailed for six years, Lota for four years and Zhikusoka for five years.
The three allegedly defrauded Ethiopian nationals who took up the case with Uganda after it emerged that at the time Malong was in the East African country.
So controversial is Malong that when he featured on the Kenyan television station after rumours went round that he was son to former Chief of General Staff of the South Sudan Army, General Paul Malong, he bragged how he was a man of large means and deep pockets.
General Paul Malong is currently residing in Kenya after he was sacked by South Sudan President Salva Kiir in May 2017.
In the interview, Malong said that he was wearing a designer shoe that cost him ksh1 million and a Rolex watch that cost him ksh10 million.
Whenever he is in Kenya, the South Sudanese national stays at a top class hotel costing him ksh250,000 a night.
In 2019, Malong told the media that he got his wealth from his Lord Jesus Christ who has been his supporter whenever he got any problems, adding that he wanted to get global attention and be famous.
Malong first came to the public limelight when Red Cross Kenya denied that he had donated ksh500 million to them.
This came hot on the heels after he was captured on a video lying on a bed which was splattered with dollars.
He is known to brag that he has donated millions to churches in Kenya and his homeland in Juba, South Sudan.
In 2019, Malong allegedly disappeared from a hotel in Kampala but later it emerged that he was being detained at Luzira Prison alongside his co-accused.
Whenever he was in Kampala, he was known for residing in High Neem Estate number 3 or in Mirano Hotel which is based in Kabalagala.
K24 Digital has established that the three were first charged in a Magistrate’s Court at Buganda Road by Joan Ketty for obtaining money by false pretence but they denied it.
The trio was represented by a Kampala based lawyer known as Fred Erisata.
