Two arrested over Shs70m land fraud
Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson Mr Patrick Onyango (R) identified the suspects as Ssewava Kagimu, the chairman of Nabisaru zone, in Makindye Division and Juliet Mugerwa alias Nasozi Kasozi. Photo by Joseph Kato
What you need to know:
Police have preferred charges of impersonation, forgery; obtain money by false pretence and conspiracy to commit a felony against the suspects
KAMPALA. Police in Kampala have arrested two people suspected to have fraudulently sold a 30 decimal piece of land at Shs70m.
Police identified the suspects as Ssewava Kagimu, the chairman of Nabisaru zone, in Makindye Division and Juliet Mugerwa alias Nasozi Kasozi.
The duo allegedly sold the land located at plot 125 block 35 in Mutundwe Rubaga Division to a city business man Gideon Kibirango Baseka last year claiming that they inherited the land from their late father one James Kasozi.
Mr Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, said the culprits convinced Mr Kibirango that their land had been mortgaged thus they needed someone to buy it so that it is not taken up by the bank.
“The suspects presented a forged will, death certificate, deceased’s identity card and letters of administration. Mr Kibirango was convinced and tasked his lawyer to oversee the transaction,” Mr Onyango said Thursday at Central Police Station, Kampala.
Mr Kibirango and the alleged owners inspected the land and a Shs50m advance was made in addition to signing an agreement to clear the Shs26m balance in a six month period.
However, when Mr Kibirango took surveyors to map the said land, he was told that the rightful heirs of late Kasozi’s property, including the said land stay in the US.
Two months later, two of the deceased’s children met with Kibirango’s lawyer and presented the original documents that collaborated with their late father’s passport and the land title.
“The victim reported the matter and opened up a case at Criminal Investigations Department at Kibuli. The police tricked the suspects to come for their balance. That was how they were arrested,” Mr Onyango said.
When paraded before the media, Mr Kagimu denied ever having had any land transaction with Kibirango claiming that his accuser was conniving with police against him for unknown reasons.
Mr Kagimu’s co-accused, Ms Mugerwa said she was innocent, adding that he (Kagimu) convinced her that he was selling his plot of land but just needed someone to help him during the selling process.
Police have preferred charges of impersonation, forgery; obtain money by false pretence and conspiracy to commit a felony against the suspects.
Mr Onyango said they will appear before court as soon as investigations are complete.
