UGANDA, Mukono | Real Muloodi News | Businessman and city landlord Godfrey Kirumira was summoned to appear at Seeta Police station on Tuesday over allegations of forging a sales agreement for 45 acres of land.
It is alleged that Kirumira on October 30th, 2021 at Kolo Village in Mukono District “knowingly and fraudulently” made a false document, being a forged sale agreement, for land in Namanve Industrial Park.
The contested land is located at Block 113 Plot 142, whose ownership is being claimed by Professor Minaz Karmali, the Director of Liberty ICD Ltd.
Kirumira’s Counsel, George and Co. Advocates, say Kirumira bought the kibanja from one Yokana Mukasa Galikwoleka at Kolo LC1, Nantabulirwa Parish, Goma Division, Mukono District on October 30th, 2017.
However, a death certificate from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), which was submitted at Mukono High Court, shows that Galikwoleka, a shamba boy working for the late Charles Kagenya, died on July 20th, 1996.
Police summoned Kirumira and his colleagues after Counsel George Kintu instituted a forgery case against the businessman under Criminal Registration Number (CRB) no. 157/2022.
The summons that ordered Kirumira to appear before D/IP William Malenge stated, “This office is investigating a case in which you are required to report to Police to assist in providing valuable information required in this matter.”
This was after Kirumira filed a trespass case against Minaz Karmali, the Director of Liberty ICD Ltd at Mukono Highcourt.
Professor Minaz Karmali says that Liberty ICD has owned three freehold plots No. 1501, 1502, and 1425 on block 113 in Namanve for many years until “when Kirumira used influential people in government, especially in the lands department to orchestrate dirty dealings on my land,” Karmali complained.
Kirumira was accused of illegally transferring a title on plot 393 block 113 into his name. The title was allegedly used as collateral by Capital Ventures International Ltd (CVIL) for loans worth USh400 million against the 85 acres of land.
Karmali also adds that although Kirumira claims that it is a kibanja, there is no evidence of landlord, payment of busuulu or any other history, maintaining that it is a freehold land that he acquired in November 2010.
In Uganda, land has become a precious factor in wealth creation and production with numerous transactions, transfers and interests.
Ideally, acquiring land should be straightforward, free of conflict and stress-free while protecting the rights of the interested party.
However, land acquisition procedures involve various participating stakeholders who have become so prevalent within the sector, so much that the process of purchasing land has been described as ‘synonymous with comen.’
Last month, both parties (Kirumira and Karmali) presented their cases before Justice David Batem. The plaintiff (Karmali) took the defendant (Kirumira to court for allegedly illegally transferring his 85-acres of land into Kirumira’s name without his knowledge or consent.
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