Former Ugandan Member of Parliament Charged Over Shs 1.3Bn Fraud

By Our Reporter

NATIONAL

The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has charged former Bufumbiro South County MP Sam Bitangaro for conspiring with four others to defraud Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives Society Limited of more than 1.3 billion Shillings.

The others are: Lawyer John Francis Onyango Owor, (Stella Kakuba a resident of Ntinda Ministers Village, Nakawa Division Kampala District, and William Tumwine a Civil Servant also residing in the same residence as Kakuba )who are yet to appear before the Court.

Bitangaro was on Monday, 28^th October, 2024 arraigned before Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro who charged him with Fraudulent Procurement of Title, causing financial loss and conspiracy to defraud.

The prosecution alleges that on May 21, 2014 at Onyango and Company Advocates offices located at Plot 182 House B Bunga in Kampala District, Bitangaro obtained 1,326,000,000 from Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives Society Limited. The money was a consideration for property comprised in Singo Block 308 plot 122 measuring 492.03 hectares by falsely representing that he has good marketable title to the said property whereas not and that he knew such actions would cause financial loss to the Cooperative.

The Court has also heard that on May 5, 2014 at Mityana District Land office, Bitangaro fraudulently procured title to property comprised in Singo Block 308 plot 146 which he fraudulently acquired by causing an irregular subdivision of plot 122 that he had already sold to Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives Society Limited.

Onyango is accused of being the lawyer of Kiboga Twegatte Cooperatives Society Limited who issued a false land inspection report by falsely stating that Singo Block 308 plot 122 was free from any encumbrances and then convinced them to buy it yet it had encumbrances.

According to the Prosecutors, Kakuba on May 29th 2014 at Onyango and Company Advocates offices located at Plot 182 House B Bunga in Kampala obtained 1.674 billion Shillings from Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives Society Limited as consideration for the Property comprised in Gomba Block 364 plot 7 measuring 398.4900 hectares by falsely presenting that he had good marketable title whereas not.

Bitangaro is further accused of conspiring with Onyango to defraud Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives Society Limited of its money.

Then Onyango is further accused of conspiring with Kakuba, and Tumwine to defraud the cooperative of 1.6 billion shillings.

Bitangaro has however denied charges and was granted bail of 12 million shillings and his sureties bonded at 500 million shillings non-cash.

Several warrants of arrest were previously issued against Bitangaro but were later cancelled following reports that he was unwell.  He later handed himself in to court on Monday according to his lawyer Geoffrey Turyamusiima who filed a successful bail application.

The case has been adjourned to November 26.

This is not the first time that Bitangaro has been charged with fraud related to selling people non-existent pieces of land.

He has never been in prison on a similar case.  In July 2020, Makindye Court sent him to Prison for selling people non-existent land in Kasaanda and Gomba Districts.

Trouble for Bitangaro and his co-accused started in 2013 when they reportedly obtained up to 3 billion Shillings to avail land for resettlement of the Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives society after their eviction from Luwunga central government reserve in Kiboga district in 2013.

The payment was provided by the Ugandan government and Oxfam International, through the National Forestry Authority.

But later, the land, measuring up to 19 square miles in Bukompe Village, Kassanda district, was reportedly claimed by businessman Abid Alam. Controversy later ensued when Alam sent graders to open access roads in the area and destroyed all properties within.

During Justice Bamugemereire’s Commission of enquiry into land matters, Abid Alam, also the proprietor of Mityana Farm Enterprises said that he had paid more than 200 million Shillings to secure the land in question. He added that he bought the land from Sam Bitangaro, Andrew Rugasira, Abasi Kajoba Mawanda, and one Dr Mbonye.