UGANDA, Mukono | Real Muloodi News | The Makindye Court has identified Eliya Nabbimba as a leading suspect of fraud in a Kampala-Jinja Expressway compensation land case. The court ordered his detention at Kitalya Prison until September 6, 2021.
Mr Nabbimba is accused of forging and altering documents to claim compensation for Plots 18, 23 and 24 on Kyaggwe Block 118, in Kyungu-Mukono District. He pleaded not guilty to these charges.
The construction of the Kampala-Jinja Expressway affected the land in question, and by claiming ownership, Mr Nabbimba would receive compensation from the Uganda National Roads Authority illegitimately.
Mr John Paul Osaulo, grade one magistrate, denied Mr Nabbimba’s application for bail on account that “his lawyer who had earlier reported to court on Wednesday morning disappeared without notifying the court, yet the case had been scheduled for hearing.”
Businessman, Muhammad Katimbo, insists he is the rightful owner of the land. He sued Mr Nabbimba for blocking his compensation by UNRA, after Mr Nabbimba claimed ownership for the same land. Ms Christine Natyaba was also named in Mr Katimbo’s lawsuit, and is yet to be arrested.
Mr Nabbimba together with Ms Natyaba, had earlier petitioned court, claiming to be the rightful administrators of the land. However, the court found that the letters of probate they were holding were not authentic.
The duo had insisted on ownership, and petitioned URNA to withhold to Mr Katimbo’s compensation.
The documents filed before the court reveal that Mr Katimbo bought the three plots of land in 1994 from Mr Christopher Musubire.
Mr Katimbo had submitted his land titles to UNRA. However, when URNA refused to compensate him, he went to court seeking for the return of his land titles, citing conspiracy to block his compensation.
Additionally, Mr Katimbo claims that some UNRA officials are interfering in the investigations, after the suspects, Mr Nabbimba and Ms Natyaba, were arrested for trespassing on his land, against the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) directives.
In May, Justice Elizabeth Kibula Kabanda, the Mukono High Court Judge, ruled that UNRA had no legal mandate to confiscate Mr Katimbo’s land titles, and directed that they be handed to him.
She explained that even though it is not up to her to determine the rightful owner of the land, the UNRA did not have reasonable justification to confiscate his documents.
Later, Mr Katimbo appealed to the DPP, accusing UNRA’s legal officer of aiding the release of Mr Nabbimba and Ms Natyaba, even after their files were sanctioned, thus interfering with investigations.
On May 17, 2021, Ms Catherine Namakoye, Assistant DPP regional officer for Kampala, wrote to the Residents Chief State Attorney of Makindye Court to request the file on the suspects (CID HTQRS E/88/2021).
Last month, the police arrested Mr Nabbimba and arraigned him before the court, but currently, Ms Natyaba has not been detained.
Mr Allan Ssempebwa, the UNRA media manager, explained that UNRA would compensate the rightful owner after the court has made its verdict.
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