Cosase probes takeover of 300 Asian properties

As the task force of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) continues to probe into the dubious acquisition or repossession of departed Asian properties, details continue to emerge about individuals, who repossessed multiple properties.

Yesterday, one of the Ugandans of Asian origin, who is under probe by the Cosase task force, Mr Praful Chandra Patel, appeared in Parliament to interface with the MPs over the repossession of more than 300 properties from the Departed Asians Properties’ Custodian Board (DAPCB).

Mr Patel, according to the task force chairperson, Mr Ibrahim Kasozi (Makindye East, FDC), has more than 300 properties in the DAPCB registry to which he appended his signature as the person who picked up the repossession certificate.

“There is a lot of work for us to do with Mr Patel. All these properties we got them in the registry which these people themselves signed as they took the repossession certificates,” Mr Kasozi said.

Mr Patel, who first had a clash with MPs over the way they were posing questions to him without considering his age, accompanied by his lawyer, Mr Paul Ssebunya, revealed that he was managing over 20 properties on behalf of proprietors who never returned after repossession.

“I have 20 properties which I look after on behalf of their owners,” he said before being told by MPs to produce the management contracts, the evidence of remittance of rent to the owners and also the tax clearances when he returns to Parliament on March 24.
The task force yesterday managed to go through 59 of more than 300 properties that he allegedly signed repossession certificates for from the DAPCB.

Mr Patel confirmed that he picked up repossession certificates for at least 39 of the 50 properties handled.
He, however, could not divulge details concerning his legal nexus with the original proprietors.
“I don’t have the files with me here. I have to get the files from my lawyer who is not here because he is not feeling well,” he said.

Mr Ssebunya said Mr Patel did not repossess all the properties as an individual because others were repossessed under the auspices of the Indian Association.

Mr Patel at some point argued that his signature had been forged by unscrupulous people in DAPCB during the 1990s when most of the repossession of the properties were done.

The session was adjourned to March 24 when the DAPCB will also be given a chance to speak on the current status of the properties un

WHO IS PATEL
Background. Mr Patel says he was born in Uganda 85 years ago. By the time, President Idi Amin expelled Asians in 1972, Mr Patel was a business man in Kampala. He returned from the United Kingdom in 1981 after the fall of Amin and is currently the director of Budongo Saw Mills that deals in furniture on Sixth Street, Industrial Area,Kampala.

Besides business, Mr Patel is the chairperson of Ladel Village, Nakasero II in Central Division in Kampala. He also says he was the founding chairperson of the Indian Association in Uganda that was established in 1992. He also led the Association of Expropriated Properties Owners.
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