Court dismisses tycoon Kirumira's fraud case

By Michael Odeng 

KAMPALA - Buganda Road Court has dismissed a case in which city businessman Godfrey Kirumira alongside a city lawyer Samuel Ssekabanja Kato were accused of land fraud.

Chief magistrate Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya Monday dismissed the case after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) withdrew charges against Ssekabanja and Kirumira.

The chief magistrate received a notice from the DPP ordering court to discontinue the proceedings against the duo.

They were expected to appear in court for plea but it was discontinued after the DPP withdrew charges against them. State prosecutor Stephen Asaba prosecuted the case.

The duo faced charges of conspiracy to defraud, while Kirumira was facing a separate count of obtaining registration certificate of the land by false pretense. On the other hand Ssekabanja faced two counts of forgery and illegal mortgaging of property.

Kirumira, 50, is a resident of Heritage Zone, Makindye division while Ssekabanja, 45 is a practicing advocate and partner in Ssekabanja and Company Advocates.

Court heard that Kirumira on December 22, 2004 at Ministry of Housing and Urban Development willfully procured a registration certificate of land title comprised in Busiro at Bwerenga.

Prosecution told court that on January 20, 2004 Ssekabanja with intent to defraud forged the sale agreement between Tours and Travels and Dykes Lwanga Meshullan the former registered proprietor, which Kirumira used to secure the certificate of title from the lands ministry on December 27, 2004, claiming that he had lawfully purchased the said land.

Court had also earlier heard that between January 20, 2004 and December 27, 2004 the duo and others still at large, conspired to defraud Gregory Kalasi, a city businessman and the managing director of Tours and Travels of his land.

The land in question is comprised of Busiro block 415 plot 209 located in Bwerenga on Entebbe Road in Wakiso District.

The duo pretended that Gregory Karasi, the managing director of Tours and Travel (U) limited had sold the land to Anil Nsundrji Company who later sold it to Kirumira.