Emmanuel Asiimwe, 49, a businessman with Taifa Partners Limited and several other companies was on Friday, August 25, 2023, charged with eight counts of forgery and uttering false documents.
This was after he had been arrested by police a day before amidst a scuffle and detained at Central Police Station.
Despite resistance due to what he termed as connections, police managed to apprehend and cage him at the CPS cells pending the investigations and sanctioning of his file to court.
Asiimwe is in trouble since forging resolutions to give self, powers of attorney – once prosecuted well may attract a life sentence.
He forged a special resolution on July 15, 2022, in respect of Taifa Partners Ltd purporting the same had been signed by Charles Okello, the company secretary, whereas not.
The particulars of offence on charge sheet among others include forging powers of attorney in respect of Taifa Partners Ltd purporting that he had been appointed the Company’s contract representative replacing Assa Tumwesigye whereas not.
He forged a special resolution in Taifa Partners Ltd on April 22, 2022, purporting that he had been appointed a sole signatory of the company’s accounts.
“Asiimwe and others still on April 28, 2022, at URSB headquarters uttered a false document with forged special resolution of Taifa Partners Ltd appointing himself a sole signatory of company bank accounts signed by Charles Okello the then company secretary whereas not….” the charge sheet reads in part.
Asiimwe appeared before the Chief Magistrate Buganda Road, Ronald Kayizzi and his charges were read out.
Although the State Attorney seemed to be ready to proceed with the trial, Asiimwe’s lawyer, John Isabirye filed a bail application and presented three sureties; Asiimwe’s brother Amon Turyahirwa, 44 from Bombo Central, his friend Moses Musasizi, 38 also from Bombo Road LC1 and his wife Adrine Gakwase, 35, a resident of Mbalwa and a vaccine specialist at UIRI.
The sureties were found substantial by court and he was released on a cash bail of Shs1m. The matter will come up on September 26, 2023.
In a related development the April 28, 2022 action attracted a petition from Assa Tumwesigye against Asiimwe and Taifa Partners Ltd and on August 11, 2023, the matter came up before Solomon Mulisa of Companies at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau and upon reading the petition, the declarations in support, reply and rejoinder and perusing the written arguments the petitioner’s lawyer, the petitioner (Tumwesigye) succeeded on merit.
It was ordered that “…the special resolution dated July 15, 2022, appointing Emmanuel Asiimwe as an authorized representative for the contract awarded by Uganda Prisons Services for the construction and commissioning of a grain processing and storage plant facility at Ibuga Prisons Farm and registered on July 20, 2022, together with Powers of Attorney registered on July 20, 2022, under instrument no. G22070-6077 be expunged from the register and rendered to be of no legal effect.
The powers of Attorney were registered on August 31, under instrument no. G210831-4681 in favor of Assa Tumwesigye be reinstated for having been unlawfully revoked.
PREVIOUS CONTROVERSIES
Little is known about Asiimwe’s earlier background in this country since he spent most of his time in exile but what is clear is that this is not the first time he is entangled in forgery cases of this nature.
He is a director at Integrated Agritech Uganda Ltd, a registered company incorporated and registered in Uganda.
It specializes in addressing challenges in post-harvest management through the construction and installation of bulk grain storage facilities, seed processing plants, grain milling plants, and tea processing facilities in addition to services in Geotechnical and Environment Impact Assessment surveys.
The company under the leadership of Asiimwe secured a contract with NAGRC to construct a feed mill, silo storage warehouse, and powerhouse in Kasolwe but the end result was not the best since he failed to complete most of the activities and his company was blacklisted.
He supplied some equipment to Rwenzori Agro in Kasese but the things failed to work despite being paid fully.
The Management of Rwenzori Agro went ahead and purchased equipment from the Chinese and tasked Asiimwe to pick up his replica equipment and refund the money.
His contract in Mbarara with Birya Agencies ended badly and he was chased with disgrace.
In Soroti, he developed bad blood with Col. William Omaria after he gave him money to supply materials to which Asiimwe declined.
Asiimwe’s company is premised to offer services across the entire agribusiness value chain in post-harvest management and to this effect he patterned with Alvan Blanch a UK company that manufactures agriculture-related machinery and technologies from farm tool, value addition and post-harvest management.
However, his work with the UK company was not very cordial since his contract was affected by his dubious ways and later terminated. Despite threatening the members of Alvan Blanch, they blacklisted him badly.
ASIIMWE’S FACT FILE
Asiimwe is a married man and God has so far blessed him with children. He has so far married three wives including the last one he snatched from a man with two children.
His first wife Shantal Makulaza lives in the UK and they separated badly. His second wife Maureen Twikirize lives in Kiwatule and they have one child.
She lives with Asiimwe’s children in the first marriage. The third one, Adrine Gakwase, who stays in Mbalwa with whom they have two children lives with the two other kids she produced in her previous marriage.
He hails from Mbaba, Kazo District and he is pondering to enter elective politics come 2026.
He is already laying grounds to contest against Dan Kimosho, the current Member of Parliament representing Kazo County.
Besides, he is a board member of the East African Grain Council (EAGC).
He is also a country representative of NMS Infrastructure, a UK-based infrastructural company which at one time partnered with Integrated Agritec Uganda Limited into the construction, installation and maintenance of post-harvest facilities in Uganda to manufacture affordable but small-sized dryers and cleaners that can be easily accessed by farmers.
Although NMS Infrastructure partnership with Integrated Agritec Uganda Limited is still on, insiders say it is limping due to the setbacks from the management of the latter company.