Embattled city businessman and Company Director at Taifa Partners Ltd and Integrated Agritech (U) Ltd, Emmanuel Asiimwe spent a night at Luzira Prison for deliberate refusal to pay his outstanding debt of Shs66m with Mutecontra Engineering & Contractors Ltd.
Following the warrant of arrest – execution number 0061 of 2024 arising out of civil suit No. 10 of 2019, Asiimwe was picked from his office in Ntinda on Thursday afternoon by court bailiffs led by Rogers Abomugisha of Solab Associates and delivered to the High Court of Uganda at Kampala (Civil Division).
He appeared before His Worship Simon Kintu Zirintusa and was remanded to Luzira Prison.
Perplexed Asiimwe became speechless. Just like any moody person who is holding tears, he nearly failed to explain the matter to his lawyers.
Hapless businessman was later whisked away to the parking lot from where a specialized means of transport was on standby to transport him to Luzira Remand Prison for debtors.
While in the corridors of Tweed Plaza building, he was overheard expressing fears to his brothers and well-wishers about the wielding bum-shafters at Luzira Prison.
BACKGROUND
Asimwe, the biggest shareholder in Integrated Agritech (U) Ltd Company, subcontracted Hussein Mutekanga of Mutecontra Engineering & Contractors Ltd to construct warehouses and silo bases at the Media agency in Mbarara District.
He also sub-contracted him to construct warehouses for Col. William Omaria in Soroti. Mutekanga did the work to the satisfaction of the clients and they paid all the money through Asiimwe’s account.
Having received the money, Asiimwe turned around and refused to pay Mutekanga claiming he had no written evidence that he had sub-contracted him to do the work.
Mutekanga dragged him to court and the judge guided the two business partners into signing a consent judgment after realized that Asiimwe wanted to diddle his colleague.
Although Mutekanga’s claim was over Shs100m, the two agreed that Asiimwe pays Shs66m and he was given a payment plan. The businessman has been playing his usual tricks with the sub-contractor until when the latter ran back to court for solace.
Court issued an arrest warrant and the apprehension came as a result of judgment debtor being adjudged by a decree of court in civil suit No. 10 of 2019 to pay Shs66m – the decretal sum of the suit and compensation for the delays. Having failed to satisfy the said decree, he was arrested and sent to the beach.
FREE BUT IN CHAINS
Just like the French Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau said “All men are born free but everywhere in chains, Asiimwe is in chains.
After spending one night at the university of discipline, handcuffed Asiimwe disembarked the Luzira Prisons bus on Friday morning. He was led to the 4th floor of Tweed Plaza by the prison warder.
Although he was comfortable in the handcuffs, he had nothing to do. When he entered the corridors he pleaded with the warder and the handcuffs were removed. He immediately grabbed his phone and got connected to the world like nothing happened.
He later appeared before Her Worship Esther Nakadama at 1:20pm.
His lawyers Stanley Okecho and Pius Katumba Busobozi from GEM Advocates in a very humble plea for their client that he has had a lot of the problems in the past but is willing to pay once he is given a grace period.
They told court their client is demanding some money from Luzira Prison after completing their work to which the Registrar said it is good he is demanding payment from the prison bosses, let him go there and he gets an opportunity of reminding them to pay them very fast.
They later told the deputy registrar that Asiimwe can only manage to raise only Shs25m to which her Worship Nakadama rejected saying that it has been long overdue. She gave them a grace period of 3 hours and allowed them to move out of court and make calls.
Whereas Asiimwe was pacing up and down like a headless chicken making calls, his young brother Amon Ndyareba was shedding tears as he thought of the quick and possible source of the balance.
At 3:00pm, Asiimwe and his lawyers entered the chambers of the deputy registrar with faces beaming with blessedness since they managed to raise the money.
However the courtroom’s smell slightly changed since the money in all denominations that was collected from all corners of the world seemed to have been kept in the pots and it was molten smelling.
It took quite some time to count Shs1000 and Shs2000 to total to Shs66m. After the transaction with Mutekanga’s lawyer, Asiimwe was set free.
Meanwhile, he is battling other issues of forgery and uttering false documents in the criminal court. Asiimwe remains in trouble since the matter of forging resolutions to give self-Powers of Attorney, once prosecuted very well, attracts a life sentence.