The media has been awash with reports about an American national, Robert Turner, who is accusing Stanbic Bank and Maxim Advocates of losing his money, and further alleging that Ugandan police authorities repeatedly demanded facilitation payments during his investigation.
However, our investigations have uncovered a different picture. Surprisingly, Robert Turner had no contract with any Ugandan company, and all his transactions were carried out in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Dubai.
According to a contract dated 5th November 2024, Robert Turner, acting through his company DM Services, entered into an agreement with COMIKI, a mining cooperative based in Shabunda, South Kivu. COMIKI deals in gold and other minerals. The contract involved the export of 150 kilograms of gold at a rate of USD 55,000 per kilogram, with the route running from Congo through Uganda to Dubai.
Turner, in his statement, claimed he was working with a company in Dubai named Greenwave Middle East Trading Company, which was to facilitate the transportation of the gold from DRC to Dubai.
Upon contacting Greenwave Middle East, the company clarified that they had never directly dealt with Robert Turner. Instead, they were approached by Mr. Kasongo of COMIKI Shabunda, who acted on behalf of DM Services. Greenwave said they immediately cut ties with both parties upon discovering that the gold in question was linked to the M23 rebel group. The company emphasized that negative reports about them were harming their business and urged us to verify the situation with the parties involved.
According to Greenwave, Robert Turner was in Dubai in both February and early April 2025 and was fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the transaction. When questioned about the funds, Greenwave stated that the money was forwarded to Mr. Kasongo to secure an alternative logistics provider. However, we were unable to reach Mr. Kasongo to confirm this claim.
It’s worth noting that gold originating from Congo is banned from most Dubai refineries. Dealing in sanctioned gold can result in the closure of the refinery and criminal prosecution of the officials involved. Uganda has long been used as a conduit for smuggled Congolese gold, where it is relabeled as Ugandan gold in a laundering process that individuals like Robert Turner are reportedly familiar with.
Our investigation further revealed that Mr. Turner had contacts within some Ugandan offices regarding gold dealings. However, we could not establish a direct link between the Congo-Dubai transaction and any Ugandan entities.
Gold is now the most significant conflict mineral in eastern Congo, with an estimated 12 tons worth roughly $500 million smuggled out annually. It remains the main source of revenue for armed groups. M23 commander Sultani Makenga has reportedly taken over a gold smuggling network originally built by former CNDP commander Bosco Ntaganda. Ntaganda is believed to have brokered several multimillion-dollar gold deals in Goma (DRC), Kampala (Uganda), and Nairobi (Kenya), connecting Congolese traders with international buyers.
Since its resurgence in 2021, M23 has occupied large areas of North Kivu and, more recently, South Kivu, including key economically strategic towns.
When we interviewed Greenwave Middle East, they reiterated that the original contract was signed in the DRC and that the transaction was between the Congolese sellers and Robert Turner.
Greenwave, which operates as a facilitator for logistics and financing between Africa and Dubai, confirmed that they were approached by COMIKI but declined to proceed once they discovered the gold’s questionable origins. Though Robert sent money to Dubai, Greenwave emphasized that they were never party to any transaction, and the funds were instead redirected by Mr. Kasongo to arrange alternative logistics.
Both Robert and the seller were fully aware of the issues. Greenwave made it clear that they could not handle goods sourced from rebel-controlled areas, and the seller agreed to find another logistics company. As a result, the funds were reportedly returned to the DRC.
