BoU probe: Kasekende writes to Speaker over properties

Kampala. Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor, Mr Louis Kasekende, has denied owning 75 land titles that the Aruu MP Odonga Otto tabled before a Parliamentary committee that is investigating the closure of seven commercial banks on Thursday last week.
In a December 18 letter to the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, Mr Kasekende indicated that 23 of the 75 land titles that Mr Otto presented before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) are “neither known to him nor owned by him”.

Twenty five of the 75 alleged land titles which are, “as a matter of fact”, 12 land titles owned by Mr Moses Musitwa were listed twice to make a total of 25, according to Mr Kasekende’s protest letter.
“The said Moses Musitwa is not and has never been my driver as alleged. He happens to be a person who once bought 1.4 acres of land upcountry from me, a search of which points at his having subdivided the said land into 12 plots,” Mr Kasekende’s letter reads.

Some of the other land titles, Mr Kasekende protested, are owned by members of his family who are capable of owning land in their own right.
In his letter, Mr Kasekende claims that nine land titles are owned by his brother Mr Herman Kasekende but one has since changed ownership while another three land titles are owned by Martin Kasekende [the Deputy Governor’s brother], two of which have since changed ownership.
Two land titles are owned by Harriet Kasekende [Deputy Governor’s sister] while another two land titles that comprise one land titles are owned by George Kasekende, according to the Deputy Governor’s protest letter.
Mr Kasekende said two land titles are owned by the estate of his father, the late Benedict Kasekende, which constitute the Kasekende-Family ancestral home, jointly owned by the family.

Two land titles that comprise one land title are owned by George Kasekende, the Deputy Governor claimed.
The Deputy Governor also wrote that “Two alleged land titles that comprise 1 land titles(listed twice) was once owned by his wife but was sold 13 years ago.
On the land titles that he owns, Mr Kasekende wrote that: “In respect of the land titles I own, I should state that there is an ongoing verification exercise being conducted by the office of the IGG in relation to asset declaration by all senior staff of BoU, of which I am part.”

Mr Kasekende explained that some of the titles were listed twice.
It was not possible to readily establish the facts as a three-man special sub-committee of Cosase is also conducting an inquiry into the properties in question.
Cosase chairman Abdu Katuntu last evening said he “cannot form an opinion” on Mr Kasekende’s letter until a report from a special sub-committee that is investigating the documents Mr Otto tabled submits a report.
“I formed that sub-committee to check the authenticity of the documents and even if they are forged or not, to also find out their relevance to the audit process. I cannot form an opinion on the contents [of Otto’s documents and Kasekende’s letter] until the committee’s report comes out,” Mr Katuntu said.

Asked whether he still stands by his documents, Mr Otto was in bullish mood, saying the committee should do a physical inspection of the properties in question.
“I dare him [Kasekende] that the committee does a physical inspection of the properties. We shall start with Lubowa which is my neighbourhood,” Mr Otto said.
The Deputy Governor demanded that all the documents he said are false should be expunged from the records of the investigating Parliamentary Committee, an investigation launched to determine why forged documents were tabled against him and for the Speaker to provide redress to him in line with the Rules of Procedure.

“For the record, the sale of the residual loan portfolio to a Mauritius Company, Nile Rover Acquisition in 2007 mentioned by Hon Otto as justification for his inquest into my wealth happened when I was at The African Development Bank and thus not an employee of Bank of Uganda,” Mr Kasekende wrote.

On the alleged transfer of money from MMAKS Advocates, Tororo District local government and China Railway, Mr Kasekende said the information relating to the three accounts “was based on false/forged documents.”
“A review of the documents received from Cosase reveals that all the information relating to the operation of the bank accounts in the joint names of Louis and Edith Kasekende or in the name of Edith Kasekende was based on false/forged documents. It is very unfortunate that such documents were submitted to support the allegations against me,” Mr Kasekende wrote.

The Deputy Governor said true statements can be accessed at Standard Chartered Bank either through the three-man committee or the Speaker’s office.
Mr Kasekende attached an email sent from Mr Moses Rutahigwa, the Acting Head Retail Banking at Standard Chartered Bank, to Ms Edith Kasekende on November 28 relating to social media posts about her bank accounts. Mr Rutahigwa reiterated that the accounts that had circulated on social media were not a reflection of Ms Kasekende’s accounts at Standard Chartered Bank.

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