Widow abandoned mortgaged land after death threats

Jun 20, 2019

It was suggested that a cartel saw an opportune moment to strike and take the property without the bank as a decoy

 

The widow battling Bank of Baroda over a 22-acre property in Wakiso district, abandoned it after incessant death threats, the land probe commission has heard.

On Thursday, the Nalusugga LC1 chairperson, John Bosco Bogere, testified at the commission and said Barbara Atukunda was compelled to quit shortly after Joseph Seruwo's death in August 1994.

It was suggested that a cartel, knowledgeable about Seruwo's indebtedness, saw it as an opportune moment to strike and take the property without the bank as a decoy.

"After the burial, the widow returned to her home, located on the land. But later, people started bringing chains and would lock her inside the house. They threatened her with death," Bogere said.

"These threats happened four months after burial. When it became unbearable, she took refuge somewhere else."

Deputy lead counsel John Bosco Suuza, probed whether Atukunda intimated to him about the person behind the threat.

Bogere responded that she told him it was people close to the family. He said she did not elaborate any further.

The witness explained that initially, Seruwo in 1991 had a 13-acre hot pepper farm on the land. He said he helped Seruwo manage the farm and that they became friends. Seruwo was the proprietor of Inter Export Uganda Limited.

Bogere who became area chairperson in 2001, said Seruwo purchased the bulk of the land from one Charles Banadda.

Background

On May 30, Atukunda testified and accused Bank of Baroda of foul play. She purported the bank was working with a syndicate.

But on Wednesday, managing director Kumar Ashwini, explained that Seruwo, used the land as collateral to obtain a sh15m loan from the bank in 1993. The bank later auctioned for sh5m in 1999.

Contention is that documents show the mortgage deed execution date is September 14, 1994, yet Seruwo died on August 24, 1994.

Ashwini refuted claims of foul play, saying the bank followed the requisite procedure and disposed of the property when it was clear that the loan payment had entered the toxic debt zone. He said Seruwo started defaulting on April 13, 1994

Ashwini emphasised that the bank gave the widow the chance to salvage the property but that when she failed.

 

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