Probe team unearths fraud in takeover of Mbale Asian assets

Kampala- An Indian businessman has been accused of fraudulently acquiring 63 properties formerly belonging to departed Asians in Mbale District.

The executive secretary of the Departed Asians Property Custodian Board, Capt (Rtd) Bernard Tumwesigire, testified before the Commission of Inquiry into land matters that Parimal Patel fraudulently presented himself as a beneficiary to acquire various properties in Mbale Municipality, a situation that has sparked off ownership disputes.

Forgeries
Capt Tumwesigire said Mr Patel presented forged powers of attorney and transferred the property without authority from the custodian board and or the rightful owners.

“In the letter Mr Patel presented that granted him authority from Budaka Ginners Limited, he indicated 16 properties allegedly given to him to manage. When you compare signatures on this letter and the letter Mr Patel wrote to the deputy resident district commissioner about the number of properties that he owns in Mbale, they are quite different. And Budaka Ginners being a corporate body, I expect him to present a resolution from the board to give him management powers of those properties,” he said.

Illegal transfers
He further testified that upon his personal visit to Mbale, he discovered 16 plots illegally transferred and others were undergoing illegal transfers, which prompted him to call for police investigations.

“…Sitting tenants were conniving with the district land board to transfer these properties which were centrally managed under the custodian board Act. I wrote a letter to all chief administrative officers to stop any person from transferring those properties and a directive for police investigations over the same,” testified Capt Tumwesigire.
[email protected]