How fraudsters tried to sell off shs3bn plot of land in Kampala without owner’s knowledge

Police in Kampala have arrested two men for fraudulently creating a fake title to sell off a prime plot of land worth shs3 billion in Kampala without the owner’s knowledge.

According to the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, the two including Denis Ntumwa and Bob Kanaabi were arrested for fraudulently obtaining a special title on a plot of land belonging to Liao Qingling, a Chinese national who is currently out of the country.

“It's alleged that around January 2022, Kanaabi and Ntumwa processed a special land title of plot 3 Naguru that didn't belong to them. Qingling had taken long without coming back to  Uganda but had left the land under the care of Lubowa Aziza as care taker,”Onyango said.

Investigations have indicated that Kanaabi brought the deal which was bought by three other colleagues of his including Ntumwa who invested money to help move the process as Kanaabi processes the special land title.

“They agreed among themselves to arrange Shs200 million to process the special land title. They processed the title into their names but before they could put the property into the market they had to give a notice to the care taker to vacate the place.”

Arrest

Police says that that the group later gave the caretaker a notice to immediately vacate the piece of land after claiming it belonged to them.

However, he informed his boss, the Chinese national who later instructed his lawyers of  Nayondo and company advocates to verify with the land registry about the creation of another title on his prime piece of land.

The lawyers found out there was another land title created on top of the one for the Chinese national prompting them to report the matter to police.

Police investigations have since indicated that the duo and two others who are still on the run made a special title into their names without the knowledge of the Chinese national with an intention of selling it off

They took advantage of the land being idle.

“Upon, interrogation the two confessed to having issued forged documents for purposes of taking the land. The duo will appear in court on 11 charges all relating to uttering forged documents and conspiracy to commit a felony,” Onyango said.

The case reflects what happens to many people who own land but leave it vacant.

Many fraudsters sell off the land prompting the rampant land wrangles and cases in courts of law in several parts of the country.

The incident is also a pointed to the dealings that happen in the land offices where several titles are created on a single piece of land without the owners' knowledge but in some cases, with collusion between conmen and officials in the land offices.