By Divine Atwine
Kampala
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.
He has been charged before the Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro
The others are: Lawyer John Francis Onyango Owor, Stella Kakuba a resident of Ntinda Ministers Village, Nakawa Division Kampala District, William Tumwine a Civil Servant also residing in the same residence as Kakuba.
The Prosecution alleges that on May 21st, 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 said money was reported as 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 whatnot and that he knew such actions would cause financial loss to the Cooperative.
The Court has also heard that on May 5th, 2014 at Mityana District Land Office I, 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.
Lawyer Onyango is accused of being the lawyer of Kiboga Twegate 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 wherasnot.
Bitangaro is accused of conspiring with Onyango to defraud Kiboga Twegate Cooperatives Society Limited of its monies.
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 been 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 canceled following reports that he was unwell. He later handed himself in to court today according to his lawyer Geoffrey Turyamusiima who filed a successful bail application for him today.
The case has been adjourned to November 26th, 2024.
