The fraud case against socialite and businessman Christian Asiimwe, alias Don Chris, has taken a dramatic turn after the State amended the charge sheet, piling on seven additional files, each containing 50 counts, in a case that has already attracted scores of alleged victims.
Asiimwe is accused of obtaining money by false pretences through his association with Sky Pins Tours and Travel, allegedly convincing Ugandans that he could secure them jobs abroad, particularly in Canada.
He has denied all the charges.
More than 30 people claiming to have lost money are attending proceedings at the City Hall Magistrates’ Court in Kampala, as the prosecution expands the case against the businessman.
The latest development comes barely weeks after Asiimwe was charged over an earlier batch of 127 counts involving alleged overseas-job fraud.
350 victims became 500-plus
The allegations against Asiimwe have been building for more than a year.
In June 2025, at least 85 job seekers reportedly petitioned then State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara after allegedly losing money to Sky Pins. The number of complainants subsequently rose to more than 350, with investigators at one point estimating the alleged financial loss at between Shs1.4 billion and Shs1.75 billion.
By the time police arrested Asiimwe in August 2026, investigators said more than 500 alleged victims had recorded statements.
Police allege that victims were asked to pay between Shs5 million and Shs10 million, depending on the country and type of job they were promised. The advertised jobs reportedly included positions such as waiters, cleaners and caregivers in destinations including Canada, the United Kingdom, Qatar and Dubai.
How the alleged operation worked
According to accounts cited by investigators and Ugandan media, Sky Pins promoted overseas employment opportunities through television, radio and TikTok, directing prospective applicants to its offices at Haruna Mall in Ntinda.
Applicants were allegedly told that they could travel for employment after paying part of the required fees upfront. Some were reportedly issued company receipts and told that they would travel within two to six months.
But investigators later reported that the promised travel did not materialise for the complainants who had come forward.
The company subsequently relocated from Ntinda to Kitende along Entebbe Road, where investigators found its offices abandoned, according to police accounts reported by Uganda Radio Network and The Observer.
A trail from Canada to Europe and the Middle East
The allegations before court stretch beyond Canada.
When Asiimwe was first charged in September, prosecution alleged that he and others still at large operated from the Sky Pins offices in Ntinda between 2023 and 2025 and solicited money after promising employment in countries including Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United States.
In one of the earlier charge sheets, prosecutors alleged that individual complainants paid millions of shillings for specific overseas placements.
The 127-count case involved allegations totalling about Shs725.68 million across 126 financial counts, according to court reporting by Daily Monitor.
The latest amendment now threatens to substantially expand the criminal case beyond those original charges.
The legitimacy question
One of the more striking elements of the investigation is that authorities did not portray Sky Pins simply as an operation with no history of overseas travel.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reportedly confirmed that the company had at one point facilitated the travel of seven Ugandans to the Netherlands.
Investigators believe those successful cases may have helped create confidence among prospective clients and contributed to the company’s ability to attract additional job seekers.
Police, however, later described Sky Pins as a fictitious labour recruitment operation while continuing investigations into the wider allegations.
The escape and arrest
The investigation intensified after complaints mounted in 2025.
According to police accounts reported by Ugandan media, Asiimwe left Uganda through the Malaba border on June 20, 2025, as the investigation gathered momentum. Reports subsequently placed him in South Africa before his return to Uganda.
Police eventually arrested him at about 2am on August 27, 2026, at a bar in Zana, Makindye-Ssabagabo Municipality, Wakiso District.
He was subsequently brought before City Hall Magistrates’ Court and remanded to Luzira Prison after denying the initial 127 charges.
Court battle now widens
The State’s latest decision to amend the charge sheet and introduce seven additional files containing 50 counts each signals a significant expansion of the prosecution’s case.
The proceedings are being closely watched by alleged victims who say they parted with substantial amounts of money in the hope of securing employment abroad.
But despite the growing number of complainants and allegations, the accusations against Asiimwe remain unproven. He has pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution must establish its case in court.
The case also highlights the continuing vulnerability of Ugandans searching for employment overseas, particularly where recruiters demand large upfront payments based on promises of visas, jobs and travel.
Police have repeatedly urged job seekers to verify the licensing and legitimacy of recruitment agencies before handing over money or personal documents.
For now, the courtroom at City Hall has become the latest battleground in a scandal that began with individual complaints and has grown into a sprawling investigation involving hundreds of alleged victims and potentially hundreds of criminal counts.
