It is alleged that on March 18, 2015, the law firm forged the signature of then Masindi High Court Judge, Justice Ralph Ochan, and issued fake letters of administration of the property and credits of the estate of the Late Antwane Kalete.
Kyle Lubega (L) of Lubega & Buzibira Company Advocates being accompanied by police detective out of the meeting at Parliament. Photo by Dominic Ochola_URN
Members of
Parliament on the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State
Enterprises – COSASE on Thursday pinned Lubega and Company Advocates for alleged
forgery and defrauding the government of 2.039 Billion Shillings.
The money was part of the 10.6 Billion Shillings supplementary budget that the Uganda
Land Commission - ULC paid to Natalia Namuli, one of the six claimants who
purportedly sold their land to the Government in Bunyoro and Buganda sub-regions.
It is
alleged that on March 18, 2015, the law firm forged the signature of then
Masindi High Court Judge, Justice Ralph Ochan, and issued fake letters of
administration of the property and credits of the estate of the Late Antwane
Kalete.
Through the
powers of the Attorney, the law firm being operated by Kyle Lubega and Richard
Buzibira reportedly presented Namuli as a granddaughter of Antwane, formerly a
resident of Kyamukama village, Buyaga County in Kagadi District.
Namuli,
through the law firm, was paid two installments of 450 Million Shillings and
later 1.589 Billion Shillings respectively. But she has been a subject of
a dispute after ULC Chairperson Beatrice Byenkya Nyakaisiki protested against her
payments on grounds of being a ‘ghost claimant.’
An ad hoc
Committee of Parliament was instituted to investigate the claims, and
subsequently confirmed the interface and existence of Namuli.
Joel
Ssenyonyi, the Committee Chairperson summoned Lubega and Buzibira who confirmed
the existence of Namuli.
But trouble
for the two lawyers ensued when the MPs secretly dispatched Bunny Twesigye, a detective
attached to the Committee who went on the ground to investigate the truth about
Namuli.
In a report that he read to the Committee, Twesigye revealed that he interviewed Namuli at
her home in Nyakasozi village, Nsunga Sub-County in Kagadi where she firmly
denied any links with the Late Antwane and matters relating to processing
compensations for the deceased’s estates.
//Cue in: “I met Natalia Namuli…
Cue out…any compensation money.”//
According to Twesigye, Namuli recalled that in late 2020, her son-in-law, Peter
Amara a businessman and former Chairperson of Kibaale District transported her
to Kampala, accommodated her in an undisclosed hotel, and made her sign a series
of documents she had no knowledge about.
//Cue in: “She recalls very well…
Cue out…documents she was signing.”//
Twesigye
produced a photo he took with the victim and a copy of her national ID
confirming the existence of the 79-year-old who was born in 1943. The
revelation prompted the MPs to task Lubega, who represented the law firm, to
explain who they actually paid.
Lubega
apologized for telling lies to the Committee and requested to retract his
earlier statement that he had spoken to Namuli in person. He also requested the
committee to summon his partner Buzibira to answer more about the transactions
because he had limited knowledge.
//Cue in: “Hon Chair and the…
Cue out…called her in person.
The MPs were agitated by Lubega’s uncoordinated statements and demanded his
detention for further investigation. Ssenyoni handed Lubega to the Criminal
Intelligence Investigation Department – CIID at Parliament for further
interrogation.
//Cue in: “Mr Lubega you are...
Cue out…help us establish that.”
The Committee is also looking for Buzibira who has twice snubbed the summons to
answer the queries surrounding their law firm’s involvement in processing the
compensation for the victim in question.
Ssenyonyi
also produced a letter from Justice Ralph Ochan who confirmed that at the time
of the issuance of the purported letter of administration to Namuli in 2015, he
had already retired from the Judiciary in 2013 and was serving as the
Chairperson of the Public Service Commission.
Following the COSASE probe, two officials of the ULC, Siraj Isabirye, the
former Senior Accountant, and Joan Namulondo, the Principal Human Resource
Officer were arrested to aid police with further investigations.
Barbara
Imaryo, the Commission’s Secretary/Accounting Officer who made the payments
without the Board’s approval is currently on the run as her case has been
referred to the International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
