By; Ben Musanje
The Justice and Constitution Affairs Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has become the first top cabinet minister to be implicated in a matter where a government property was fraudulently demolished and tenants evicted in Jinja before the Land Commission of Inquiry.
Appearing before the Land Commission of Inquiry led by Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, the former Undersecretary for Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry Emmanuel Olumu said that he acted on the advises of the then minister for trade Otafiire to approve the fraudulent acquisition of the claimed land by Birus Property Services.
In 2014, a government building was demolished after a businessman Simpson Birungi of Birus Property Services presented a fake title for plot 60/62 along Alidna Visram road in Jinja town claiming its ownership.
The land belonged to the Privatization Unit, a government department in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Olumu confesses of not have interacted with the tenants who were operating 18 shops as tenants under their umbrella body Alidna Twegaite Traders Association on that building before he approved all the documents he received.
He further asked the commission to reveal some information outside camera due to its sensitivity.
Meanwhile, Simpson Birungi of Birus Property Services and Movit Products Limited asked the commission to provide him with an interpreter since he couldn’t answer in English. The commission resolved to reschedule his appearance when it gets an interpreter.
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