State witness clears Kananura in fraud case

By JOB BWIRE

A prosecution witness in the case in which the flamboyant Kampala businessman, Andrew Kananura aka Desh is accused of fraud of sh340m has cleared him saying he did not forge any documents, pertaining the matter.

Testifying before Buganda road magistrate’s court as a prosecution witness, Apollo Mutalirwa, a government handwriting expert told court that from his analysis, it is probable that Haji Salait Ssemakula of Sema Properties Ltd (the complainant in the case) could have uttered the said documents himself and not Desh.

“I was availed with the Ssemakula’s signature samples. The signature on the passport is different from that on the police statement and delivery note. It is highly probable that Ssemakula could have made the signatures on the delivery note,” Mutalirwa stated.

However, this was objected by Ssemakula who said Mutalirwa had concluded in his first report of May 6th 2013 that he (Ssemakula) had not signed on the delivery note.

“Mutalirwa in his first report said I had not signed on the delivery note, meaning that Desh had forged my signature. From his evidence in the second report, it is only clear that he has connived with Desh to feed court with lies,” Ssemakula said.

Through his lawyer, Geoffrey Nangumya, Desh also accused Ssemakula of conniving with a one Stephen, a CID police officer to steal his tractor.

Prosecution alleges that between November 16 and December 25 last year, Desh entered an agreement to sell and supply Semakula a grader 140OG-Caterpillar at sh340m.

Prosecution alleges that Kananura entered the deal with intent to defraud and obtain money by false pretense because the said machine [grader] was never supplied yet the money was issued to Desh.

This hindered the work of the complainant on several sites since he is a property dealer. Desh is alleged to have deliberately refused to deliver the machine and instead went into hiding after forging the signature of Ssemakula on the delivery note whereof meant that Ssemakula had received the said tractor.

The matter was adjourned to July 24 for further hearing.

Around mid-January this year, Desh was arrested as key witness in connection with murder of his employee Badru Katerega at Panamera bar but denied the charges. In February, he was released by the High court on a cash bail of sh20m.