Minister, mistress fight over car
Dr Ajedra Gabriel Aridru
KAMPALA- State Minister for Finance Dr Ajedra Gabriel Aridru is embroiled in a wrangle with his mistress over a car.
In a case before City Hall Magistrate’s Court, Dr Aridru accuses, Ms Micky Bibiana Almasri, of presenting false documents to a car bond run by Japan Auto Traders in order to transfer his vehicle into her names.
In his testimony Mr Moses Mabonga, the receptionist at the bonded warehouse who handed over the car and log book to Ms Almasri, told court that in December 2015 Dr Aridru showed up at their depot with Ms Almasri whom he addressed as his wife.
“…I moved them around to locate the car they wanted. They decided to purchase a Toyota Ipsum on a credit deal. When it reached 80 per cent payment, that was Shs 15m, we called them to pick the car. There was a balance of Shs 5m which was to be paid in equal installments. They indeed paid the balance,” Mr Mabonga said.
“I recall well, Ms Almasri came alone to pick the car. I told her we could not deliver the car to a person who was not the owner. She went back and returned with an acknowledgment note with a copy of the minister’s driving permit. Before releasing the car to her, we first called the minister and told him whom we were releasing the car to and he replied; ‘that is my wife’. So we had no further questions,” he testified.
Mr Mabonga further explained that the two lovebirds took long to pay the balance. She said before they transferred the logbook into Ms Almasri’s name, they told her to bring an authorisation letter from the minister, which she did.
“So, she took both the logbook and the car,” Mr Mabonga said.
He said, however, to their surprise, early this year, Dr Aridru went to their car bond claiming he wanted his car and insisted he had never signed for it to be given out to any person.
Court heard from another witness, Mr Noah Macho, an employee of Platinum Credit, a loaning company, that Ms Almasri presented the car in question as security and acquired a loan which she has since failed to clear.
“…the accused is our client we do offer loans. On September, 2016 she approached us. She wanted a loan facility. She came with a logbook in her names. We put a caveat on the logbook after confirming through Uganda Revenue Authority that it was genuine,” Mr Macho said.
He added that Ms Almasri paid three installments on the loan but later defaulted on the balance after someone showed up claiming ownership of the car.
It’s not the first time Aridru and Almasri are involved in controversy. On September 20, 2015, the duo allegedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding compelling the minister to start catering for the child they begot during their relationship.
Prosecution contends that between July and August 2016 at Japan Auto Traders on Naguru Road in Kampala, Ms Almasri knowingly and fraudulently uttered a false document to wit instruction letter for the transfer of motor vehicle Registration Number UAY 117G in her name, to Denis Ainomugisha purporting it had been written by and signed by Dr Aridru whereas not.
