Police officer grilled over Mabira giveaway report

PIC: Michael Lumala of Police faced the land probe commission. (Credit: Denis Dibele)

LAND PROBE

KAMPALA - A superintendent of Police attached to Lugazi Police Station has been grilled by the land probe team over authoring a report to giveaway Mabira forest reserve to an investor.
   
Michael Lumala, who was grilled for close to an hour, was asked to explain why he wrote a report in favour of Hared Petroleum Ltd to giveaway 5.7 acres of Mabira Forest reserve to the company.

The commissioners grilled Lumala for altering a Police report in which he claimed that part of Mabira forest reserve belongs to Bashir Nurdin, the proprietor of Hare Petroleum Ltd.

The commission also heard that Lumala allegedly doctored a report, claiming that National Forest Authority (NFA) had encroached on land belonging to Hare Petroleum Ltd.

"This has a lot to do with your unprofessional behaviour and we wonder where else you have put your unprofessional behaviour," Justice Catherine Bamugemereire said.

However, when Nurdin appeared before the commission, he admitted that he had illegally acquired the land at a throwaway price of about sh1m.

Nurdin told the commission chaired by Bamugemereire that he was willing to settle the matter with NFA. He said he had been duped by his agents whom he relied on to purchase the land.

Lumala defended his action, saying he based his report on information given to him by the Police officers who investigated the case.

"My lord, I came into this matter when all the investigations had been done," Lumala.

Commission team

Justice Catherine Bamugemereire is the commission chairperson. The commissioners are Fredrick Ruhindi, Mary Oduka Ochan Robert Ssebunnya, Joyce Gunze Habaasa, Dr Rose Nakayi and George Bagonza Tinkamanyire.

Ebert Byenkya is lead counsel, John Bosco Suuza is assistant lead counsel, while Judiciary deputy registrar of planning and development Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya heads the secretariat.

Commission mandate

The commission's mandate is to probe efficiency of the laws, policies and processes of land registration, acquisition, administration and management.

It is also tasked with inquiring into the effectiveness of the Uganda Land Commission in administering public land and relevant bodies in the reservation of wetlands, forests, road reserves and national parks, among other gazetted spaces.