Makindye\nChief magistrate has released Bufumbira South Member of Parliament, Sam\nBitangaro on cash bail of Shs7million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bitangaro\nfaces charges of defrauding the government of Shs3billion that was meant for\nthe resettlement of over 2500 people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nlegislator and the co-accused on Monday appeared before the Makindye Chief\nMagistrate, Prossy Katushabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nfour pleaded not guilty on all counts and were granted Shs7million cash and Shs200million\nnon cash bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\nhad been remanded to Luzira Prison over fraud in connection with sale of\nnon-existent land in Kassanda and Gomba districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prosecution\npreferred charges against them of obtaining money by false pretence, fraudulent\nprocurement of title, fraud on sale or mortgage of property and conspiracy to\ndefraud in regard to sale and acquisition of land which was meant to resettle\nmore than 2,579 people, who were evicted from Luwunga Central Forest Reserve in\nKiboga District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\narraigning of the suspects in court follows several months of long joint\ninvestigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\n2007, government contributed Shs3b while New Forest Company contributed Shs1.5b\nto finance the acquisition of land and construction of social amenities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\neviction of people from Luwunga Forest was to pave way for New Forest Company,\na London-based company, to replant the heavily degraded forest reserve after\nthey signed a deal with National Forestry Authority (NFA) in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prosecution\nalleges that on May 21, 2014 at M\/s Onyango and Company Advocates\u2019 offices in\nBunga, Makindye Division, Mr Bitangaro obtained Shs1.32b from Kiboga Twegatte\nCooperative Society Ltd by falsely pretending that he had good and marketable\ntitle to land measuring 492 hectares at Bukompe, Nalutuntu Sub-county in\nKassanda District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nstate further alleges that on November 5, 2014 at Mityana District, they\nfraudulently procured land title to Singo Block 308 plot 146, which he\nfraudulently acquired by causing an irregular sub-division of plot 122 that he\nhad already sold to Kiboga Twegatte Cooperative Society Ltd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr\nBitangalo allegedly sold 780 hectares at Shs1.3 billion at Bukompe, Nalutuntu\nSub-county in Kasanda District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ncharge sheet indicates that on May 2, 2014, Mr Onyango being a lawyer of Kiboga\nTwegatte Cooperative Society Ltd, issued a land inspection report falsely for\nSingo Block 308 Plot 122.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On\nMay 29, 2014, Ms Kakuba and Mr Tumwine obtained Shs1.67b from Kiboga Twegatte\nCooperative Society by falsely pretending that they had good property at\nDegeya, Kasambya in Gomba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\nare to reappear before the same court on 12th February, 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Makindye Chief magistrate has released Bufumbira South Member of Parliament, Sam Bitangaro on cash bail of Shs7million. Bitangaro faces charges of defrauding the government of Shs3billion that was meant for the resettlement of over 2500 people. The legislator and the co-accused on Monday appeared before the Makindye Chief Magistrate, Prossy Katushabe. The four pleaded not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2270,"featured_media":13083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n