Former Minister Bitangaro, Three Others Jailed over Fraud

By Max Patrick Ocaido

Former State Minister for Gender and Culture and now Bufumbira South Member of Parliament Sam Bitangaro and three others were on Wednesday evening charged and remanded to Luzira Prison for allegedly obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to defraud government of Shs3billion.

The other suspects that include; lawyer John Owor Onyango, Stella Kakuba and William Tumwine were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, headed by Lt. Col Edith Nakalema.

They were arraigned before Makindye Chief Magistrates Court and charged with seven counts of obtaining money by false pretense, fraudulent sale of mortgage and conspiracy to defraud government of Shs3billion.

It is alleged that in May 2014, MP Bitangaro, with the help of lawyer Onyango fraudulently sold 1780 acres of land to Kiboga Twegatte Co-operative Society at Shs1.3bn which belonged to businessman Abid Alam.

Bitangaro and his co-accused reportedly forged the land title of the same. The sold land was meant to resettle families evicted from Luwunga forest reserve in Kiboga district after government in conjunction with Oxfam International in 2013 donated Shs3b to Kiboga Twegatte Sacco to resettle people who lived in the forest reserve.

The suspects return to court next week.