Tooro land wrangles: Lawyer detained over forged documents

Accused. Mr Vincent Mugisha testifies before the land probe commission in Fort Portal on Thursday. PHOTO BY ALEX ASHABA

What you need to know:

  • The lawyer was taken along by the Commission police as they returned to Kampala following a week-long hearing of land matters from Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts at Mountains of the Moon Hotel in Fort Portal town.
  • The probe team will resume at the same venue on Monday to hear land matters from Kasese District.

KABAROLE. The Land Commission chaired by Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemeraire on Friday handed over Mr Vincent Mugisha, a lawyer accused of grabbing land in Kyenjojo District, to the police for further investigations after it was proved he tendered in forged documents while appearing before the probe in Fort Portal.

The lawyer was taken along by the Commission police as they returned to Kampala following a week-long hearing of land matters from Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts at Mountains of the Moon Hotel in Fort Portal town. The probe team will resume at the same venue on Monday to hear land matters from Kasese District.

Mr Mugisha, who the victims say claims to be working in the Office of the President, is accused of tendering in forged land titles, powers of attorney, land sale agreements among other documents when he appeared to defended himself.
“You will go with our investigators to explain why you intimidated two of our witness that you will kill them, and will also explain about the documents you submitted to us because they are questionable,” Justice Bamugemeraire said.

During the hearings, the probe team exposed several cases of forgeries, false claims and intimidation of both locals and police by land grabbers.
Among the witnesses that pinned Mr Mugisha is Ms Joyce Kabaguma, 53, of Ganyinayo village, Matiri, Kihura in Kyenjojo District, who said she had been on remand from October 2017 until Wednesday when she was bailed by Kyenjoko Magistrate’s court.

Ms Kabaguma, a mother of 10, told the commission that Mr Mugisha sued her for criminal trespass and court then remanded her to Butiiti prison.
“Mugisha wanted to arrest my husband at first but he fled, but I could not run away and leave my children, so the police instead arrested me in October 2017 and paraded me in court. Since then, I have been in prison and I don’t know where my husband is,” Ms Kabaguma told the commission on Thursday.

He is also accused of grabbing 120 acres of land from Ms Nalongo Katenta a resident of the same area, and another belonging to Mr Ronald Musabe, 43, a resident of Bitobere village in Butunduzi Town Council.
“I have been demanding Mr Mugisha to return my father’s land to me or give me money to buy elsewhere because I have no land but Mugisha rejected all these options,” Mr Musabe told the commission.
On Thursday, Mr Mugisha had said he is the rightful owner of the disputed land. He tendered in four documents, which the commissioners rejected as forged.

Police officers not spared
The Kyenjojo District police commander, Mr James Kawalye, stunned the commissioners on Thursday when he testified that Mr Mugisha does not only harass and intimidate the community but also the police, including disarming some of them.

Accused. Mr Vincent Mugisha of testifies before the land probe commission in Fort Portal on Thursday. PHOTO BY ALEX ASHABA.