Between 1988 and 1993, Abbas Mawanda, the former managing director of Uganda Development Bank, sold 463.87 acres of land to city businessman Amos Nzeyi.
Together with former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, Nzeyi would later sell this private mailo land in six parcels to the pension fund, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in March 2008 at colossal sums of money – Shs11.2billion (24m per acre).
This raised eyebrows especially from the Fund’s members prompting an investigation into possible corruption but both Nzeyi and Amama were cleared of any wrongdoing by the Attorney General of the day – Peter Nyombi.
Trouble, however, rose recently when a Canadian-Indian family took to the Land Commission headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire claiming at 366.2 acres of the same land.
Nazim Moosa, son to Mohammed Hassnali Moosa testified before the commission that he father who died in 1997 owned Temangalo Tea Estate Limited (TTEL) but they fled Uganda when President Amin ordered the expulsion of Asians.
Records show that TTEL had a 49-year lease on the land up until 2003 but somehow in 1987, the land’s ownership was registered in the names of Abbas Mawanda and the commission is now interested in knowing how he acquired it.
Mawanda snubbed the commission’s summons saying he wasn’t feeling well. Nzeyi who appeared before the same commission said he rightly acquired the land and even had the land titles.
The commission now says the investigations are into the matter are still ongoing and will pronounce itself soon.