By Ivan Mubiru
Police in Kasangati is holding a man for allegedly obtaining Shs271 million from squatters by false pretence.
The suspect identified as Isma Kanonya was arrested early this week following a complaint filed to police by 61 victims.
Kanonya’s arrest has been confirmed by Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire.
According to Owoyesigyire, the complainants told police that they were approached by Kanonya in 2015 as a land broker. Then, they say, he presented to them a Memorandum Of Understanding between him and the actual land owner, a one Mr. Patrick Luboowa. Later on, according to Oweyesigyire, he presented to them an agreement between him and Luboowa indicating he had paid a sum of Shs800 million as part of the payments for the entire land a condition that placed him as the rightful owner of the land.
The 40 acre land in question is located in Busukuma.
“The suspect then hired surveyors to partition the land into (50×100), (100×100) plots and started receiving deposit payments while promising that he was processing their land tittles. He made millions by conning the would-be occupants, who would pay him deposits for plots he claimed to own – only for him to disappear before they could receive their land titles,” says Owoyesigyire.
Adding, “When the true land owner Mr. Luboowa received news that his land was up for grabs, he approached the occupants, presented verified documents proving ownership of the land and claimed that he wanted to develop his land which prompted angry occupants to open up cases at various police stations against Kanonya.”
The suspect is currently detained at Kasangati Police Station on charges of obtaining money by false pretense vide SD REF 38/24/10/2018.
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