MP dragged to court over unpaid car rental fees

Aringa County Member of Parliament (MP) Ashraf Noah Olega (NRM) has been dragged to the Yumbe Chief Magistrates Court for failure to pay sh7m in fees accrued from a car rental.

In a  civil suit number 009 of 2008 logged at the court on March 13, 2019, the plaintiff, businessman Juma Ashraf Mansur, alleges that in January and February 2016 during parliamentary campaigns in Yumbe district, Olega signed a contract to hire Mansur's Corolla DX vehicle registration number UAV 905T for sh100,000 daily.

Mansur alleges that he signed a contract with Olega and that the car was used for 53 days, the equivalent of sh5.3m.

Mansur alleges that his vehicle also sustained mechanical damages to a tune of sh1.5m during the campaigns.

"In addition to the sh7m, he claims general damages costs of the suit and any other alternative remedy which the court deems fit," the plaint says.

Mansur says despite his efforts to serve the court summons to Olega in Yumbe district, the defendant ignored signing the court summons at his home and at his political office in Yumbe district.

"The defendant was duly notified of the plaintiff's intention to sue him but he ignored it. Therefore the Chief Magistrate Court of Yumbe has given him fifteen days to file a defence," Mansur said.

The plaintiff further petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to intervene in the matter.

"I am requesting Speaker Kadaga for intervention because Olega has refused to clear my money despite consuming the services," the petition says.

"He used the vehicle in the political campaign in six-counties namely; Kuru, Kululu, Kochi, Apo, Romogi, and Yumbe town council, after winning the elections he paid a deaf ear," reads the petition in part.

"Despite the plaintiff honouring the contract, Olega has breached the contract and has adamantly refused to pay the whole contract sum and costs incurred during the campaigning period," the petition adds.

Olega responds

The MP, however, dismissed the claims, saying all the dues were paid to the plaintiff.

"I know Mansur and I am his paternal uncle. I admit that I hired his car but I do not owe him any money because I paid his money in 2016. Why would I take three years without paying his money?" Olega asked.

"Maybe there are political saboteurs who are using Mansur to damage my political career in Yumbe district," Olega said.

"I have not been served any court summons at my home in Yumbe district. Let him deliver the court summons to my office at Parliament, I shall sign them and my lawyers will take on the case," Olega said.

"Mansur has a constitutional right to petition the Speaker of Parliament, but I will tell the speaker the truth with evidence of payments to him," he said, adding "I even lent Mansur my tipper lorry in Yumbe to ensure he gets some income, however when he failed to service it , it prompted me to retract the lorry because it would affect the engine."