City broker faces fraud charges over 200-acre land

The State has slapped fraud charges against Mr Muhammad Kamoga, a land broker, in connection with the alleged acquisition of a 200-acre piece of land in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District.

On September 4, the deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr George William Byansi, asked the police to arrest Mr Kamoga and present him in court for allegedly fraudulently acquiring the land in Bukaya and Bugoba villages in Garuga.

 According to the charge sheet, the land broker is facing charges of forgery and uttering a false document and obtaining registration by false pretense.

It is alleged that on May 7, 2021, while at Wakiso lands office, Mr Kamoga forged a transfer form in respect to land on Block 435, Plot 8, purporting to have been the owner, Mr Peter Bibangamba, whereas not. The State contends that he also forged a transfer form dated February 8, 2021, in respect of land on Block 435 comprising 105 plots.

The land broker is also alleged to have submitted the said forged documents to the registrar of tiles, purporting them to have been signed by Mr Bibangamba whereas not.

According to the state, Mr Kamoga willfully procured for himself registration of disputed land under the Registration of Titles Act by falsely pretending that the same was transferred to him by Mr Bibangamba.

Accusations

Mr Bibangamba is accusing Mr Kamoga of subdividing his land into more than 100 plots, transferring them into his names and later on selling them off without his consent.    

According to the complaint, in 2021, Mr Bibangamba engaged Mr Kamoga, to recover his land from occupants who had become a big problem to him.

It is alleged Mr Bibangamba and Mr Kamoga signed a memorandum of understanding accompanied by powers of attorney to enable the latter to execute the assignment. According to the powers of attorney, Mr Kamoga was mandated to sign and or execute any court documents and instruments and to take all such steps as may be necessary or expedient for giving effect to the said powers.

It is alleged that Mr Kamoga held meetings with squatters, opened boundaries of the land and negotiated with some of them and even took one of them, J.P Cuttings, to Mr Bibangamba and the sale was concluded.

“However, thereafter Mr Kamoga proceeded and subdivided the entire land into several small plots and transferred most of them into his own names and then sold without the knowledge or consent of the complaint or the affected occupants,” Mr Bibangamba states.

Efforts to speak to Mr Kamoga, who is on police bond, were futile as his known telephone number was switched off. Mr Kamoga is representing himself in a civil matter.