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Kwagalana tycoon in Ushs1bn fraud scandal
Chairman Land Commission Baguma Isoke whose signature was forged
One of the flamboyant tycoons in the city and a member of club of Kampala’s rich – aka Bagaga Kwagalana, has been dragged to court for reportedly conning an Asian Housing developer of close to Ushs1Bn.
Francis Kakumba, but the Land’s ministry has since cancelled my land title” laments Bharwani.
The now indicted Commissioner of Land Registration Sarah Kulata Basangwa cancelled the land titles in October this year after the Uganda Land commission complained that signatures of its chairman Baguma Isoke (Pictured) and that of its Secretary had been forged on the way to obtain leases to the land.
Bharwani has accordingly filed a lawsuit at the High Court’s Commercial Division seeking refund of his money with damages, interest and other losses he incurred plus costs of the suit.
According to Court documents filed by ENS Africa advocates on behalf of Bharwani, the land in question is registered as LRV KCCA 104 Folio 19 Plots 5-7 Butabika close and Plot Plot 86 as well as Butabika Road LRV 105 Folio 16 Plots 82-84.
Bharwani states that Kakumba took the deal of buying the land in 2011 and that he has since paid him a total of Ushs926, 475,000 not to mention money he used to fence off the land ahead of constructing a housing estate on the land.
After paying for the land, Bharwani is said to have obtained the land title to the same. But problems came when he sought to obtain leases from the Uganda Land commission.
It is alleged that much as he obtained a five year lease and later 49 year lease on the land, the commissioner would later cancel the title citing forgery of the signatures of the chairman of the Uganda land commission, Baguma Isoke and that of its secretary.
“I have since asked Kakumba for refund of my money, but he has ignored my approaches to date,” Bharwani states.
Reached for comment, Kakumba denied any wrongdoing. “I did not deal with him (Bharwani at all,” he stated, before adding that Bharwani has since obtained a land title to the land.
” I don’t know why his land title was cancelled if at all it was cancelled,” Kakumba told this reporter. He stated that by suing him, Bharwani was behaving like a drowning man who ended up clinging at any straw in order to escape drowning.
“He has no case against me at all, he is just clutching at any grass he can find in order not to sink,” Kakumba asserted.
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