MP questioned over land scam
Mr Charles Ngabirano, Member of Parliament for Rwampara Constituency in Mabrara District. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Prosecution states that between May 2018 and February 2019 at Mbarara District, Ms Karuhanga abused her office when she altered minutes of the council meeting held in May 2018 by omission with intent to deceive.
KAMPALA. The Member of Parliament for Rwampara Constituency in Mbarara District, Mr Charles Ngabirano has been interrogated over alleged fraud in connection with acquisition and transfer of public land into private means.
Mr Ngabirano on Thursday appeared at the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Kibuli in Makindye Division following the summons.
Police CID Spokesperson, Mr Vincent Ssekatte confirmed to Daily Monitor that Mr Ngabirano was questioned in regard to alleged conspiracy to defraud.
He said that the legislator was released on bond pending further investigations into the illegal acquisition and allocation of government land that houses district veterinary plot in Mbarara Municipality.
According to Mr Ssekatte, the MP was summoned for questioning following complaints by concerned citizens citing illegal allocation of various plots of land in Mbarara District.
“We wanted to establish if he (MP) had a hand in the said irregularities because there is no minute pertaining the said transactions,” Mr Ssekatte said.
But Mr Ngabirano who spent close to four hours with police detectives told the media that he was invited by the police to present his documents to prove his ownership of the land.
“I bought that property (land) from Ms Grace Muhairwe and I have documents to show that I have a running lease from Uganda Land Commission (ULC) and I have handed them to Police as required,” he said.
Mr Ngabirano revealed that he purchased the land on two plots to construct a hotel but plans are underway to exchange it with the church.
He added: “I have used the same chance also to lodge my complaint against non-payment for my land which government took for the construction of Mbarara bypass.”
Mr Ngabirano is among the seven top officials in Mbarara being probed over transfer of government land to private means without following the legal procedure.
These include; the Chief Administrative Office (CAO), Mr Felix Cuthbert Esoku, District Senior Land management officer, Ms Godlive Nayebare, District Surveyor, Mr Emmanuel Himbisa and Human Resource Officer and Clerk to the district council, Ms Rosalia Karuhanga among others.
They are battling charges of abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud in the Kololo-based Anti-Corruption Court.
The Anti-Corruption Unit of State House led by Lt Col Edith Nakalema recently arrested and detained the Town Clerk of Mbarara, Mr Edward Lwanga and his Treasurer, Richard Karere pending further investigations.
In court
Prosecution alleges that between February 2016 and January 2018 at Mbarara District, Mr Esoku and others still at large in abuse of his authority processed and caused the leasing of a plot of land in Mbarara Municipal Council to a one Charles Ngabirano contrary to the interest of his employer. The state contends that the said land did not belong to Mbarara district local government.
The state also alleges that between February 2016 and 2018, Mr Esoku, Ms Nayebare and Mr Himbisa abused their authority when they caused sub division and received payments for development of four plots of land at Kamuzi Road from individuals employed in the district without authorisation from Uganda Land Commission.
Prosecution further states that between May 2018 and February 2019 at Mbarara District, Ms Karuhanga abused her office when she altered minutes of the council meeting held in May 2018 by omission with intent to deceive.
