‘Young Tycoon’ Lawrence Lual Malong sentenced to 6 years in jail over $1m gold scam

KAMPALA, UGANDA – A court in Ugandan has sentenced South Sudanese national Lawrence Lual Malong Yor who is better known as ‘Young Tycoon’ to six years in Jail along with two others for obtaining over $1 million false pretenses.

The High Court Anti-Corruption Division on Monday found Malong, Mike Lota, a Congolese national and Gavana Zhikusoka of obtaining 1,092,000 USD by false pretenses. The trio was also convicted of conspiring to defraud two Ethiopian nationals as well as uttering false documents (five counts).

The convicts were arraigned in the High Court before His Lordship Lawrence Gidudu in September 2019, with the Prosecution led by Chief State Attorney Marion Acio and State Attorney Nicholas Kawooya.

Several individuals across Africa and Asia were involved in a gold scam to the   tune   of   1.092.000$.

The   complainants,   Wagnew   Dessie   and   Abebe   of Ethiopian   origin   based   and   working   in   South   Africa   got   into   a   working relationship with Malong, a South Sudanese National mostly resident in Uganda.

He convinced them to come to Uganda and invest in the gold business.  He introduced   them   to   Congolese   representatives   of   gold   owners   and   other Ugandan   counterparts.

This   sparked   off   a   series   of   incredible   transactions traversing Dubai, Nairobi, Hong Kong, Brussels and Zambia in the hope of concluding the transaction.

Upon realizing that they had been duped, the complainants reported a case in Nairobi first and then Uganda.

The case gained its notoriety from the flamboyant Malong who claimed to be a son of a general in South Sudan and asserted connections with His Excellency the President of Uganda.

Malong was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretences, 2 years for conspiracy to commit a felony and 1 year for uttering false documents.

Lota was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretences, 1 year for conspiracy to commit a felony and 1 year for uttering false documents.

Zhikusooka was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretences, 1 year for conspiracy to commit a felony and 2 years for uttering false documents.

The sentences are to run concurrently. In addition, a compensation order of USD 1,092,000 was made.

They were however acquitted on the count of money laundering and two counts of uttering false documents.

“We commend the Prosecutors for successfully prosecuting the matter,” said Jacquelyn Okui, Public Relations Officer Office of the DPP.