Ex-NFA lawyer breaks down in parliament over bribery allegations

Nov 17, 2011

Former National Forest Authority Legal officer Molly Karuhanga could have appeared in court several times, but today she could not handle the pressure from members of parliament who alleged that she was involved in the sh5b compensation deal to Beachside management services.

By Mary Karugaba
 
Former National Forest Authority Legal officer Molly Karuhanga could have appeared in court several times, but today she could not handle the pressure from members of parliament who alleged that she was involved in the sh5b compensation deal to Beachside management services.
 
Karuhanga broke down and wept in the committee when MPs demanded to know the authenticity of the consent judgment and the Decree with her signature appended to them.
 
Trouble started when Karuhanga was asked to explain a Consent judgment where the NFA and Beachside Management Services agreed to settle the matter and pay.
 
“I don’t know that document. It is forged,” she said. But the MPs could not take her answer lightly and demanded that she explains the people involved in the forgery since it is her name on it.
 
Karuhanga accused Protazio Byarugaba, the then NFA external lawyer of forging the document.
 
“it is a shock that there is continued reference to a consent judgement entered by myself when in fact it is a forgery by one Protazio Byarugaba who was at the time the Authority external lawyer,” she said.
 
Karuhanga together with other NFA officials led by the acting Executive Director Gershom Onyango were appearing before the committee to explain the circumstances under which the authority lost sh5b to the company inform of compensation.
 
The Company sued NFA after the Authority delayed to issue the license to operate an eco-tourism site in Kyewaga central forest reserve.  When the company tried to start operations, the tree planting farmers in the area protested and accused them of trespass.   
 
 Karuhanga explained that when Beachside Management Services took the authority to Court, the judge advised that the two parties first exhaust alternative dispute resolution with a view of settling the matter.
 
“I was authorized to draft a consent judgment as is the practice, to be co-signed by both counsel and sealed by the trial judge. However at this point both counsel disagreed, therefore there was no consent as alleged,” she said.
 
Karuhanga added, “If you carefully studied the said decree signed by me, you will realize that the signature there is of Protazio Byarugaba and in the body they mention my name. What is also strange s that the dree was signed days after I had put in my application for review of the judgment?”
 
She tabled the entire document to the committee.
 
According to the consent judgment, the Authority was directed to issue the company with a license, handover vacant possession of the said land to the plaintiff and the company drops its claim of $8.5m.

 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});