Real estate firm directors on the run over fraud allegations

A woman walks below Hosanna Real Estate offices located in Wendegeya, Kampala. Three company directors are currently on the run on allegations of fraud and obtaining money by false pretence. PHOTO BY STEPHEN WANDERA.

What you need to know:

The three directors are wanted to answer to allegations of obtaining money from clients and failure to deliver titles.

KAMPALA

As the police intensify investigations into alleged cheating of clients by Hosanna Real Estate, the firm’s directors have reportedly gone into hiding.

According to the Police Protections Unit spokesperson, Mr Emilian Kayima, the force is working on leads of three people said to be the firm’s directors. “Three files have been sanctioned by the Director of Public Prosecution and as soon as we get them, they will be produced in court,” Mr Kayima told Daily Monitor yesterday.

The three suspects, all Ugandans, will, according to police, be charged with obtaining money by false presence.

On Monday police released a list of 26 complainants, claiming that the firm had defrauded them after they failed to acquire land that they had paid for. The claims make a total sum of about Shs320 million, according to details released by the police.

However, when contacted, Mr Rashida Kaweese, the company sales executive, denied the existence of such debts, saying: “If there is any debt we have out there, is Shs15 million.”
“Police has wrong information and we believe this is a ploy to tarnish our name,” he said.
However, Mr Kaweese, who was reluctant to speak to the press, had on Monday told Daily Monitor that the three directors would hold a press conference on Tuesday [yesterday], which did not take place.

When this newspaper visited the company’s offices in Wandegeya, a Kampala suburb, a number of complainants had pitched camp there demanding an explanation.

Yesterday, according to Mr Kayima, another batch of complainants (11) had filed other complaints. “As I talk today (Tuesday), 11 to 15 people came up with complaints of money taken by the company for land but no titles given in return. Hosanna Real Estate also known as ‘Cannan Sites’ has estates in Kitemu, Kalagi, Mukono, and Seeta.