The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has convicted Moses Mugalya on three counts of forgery, uttering false documents, and defrauding an NBS TV journalist of Shs 55 million in a land transaction. Chief magistrate Neumbe Ritah Kidasa delivered the judgment, finding that the prosecution had proved all three charges against Mugalya beyond reasonable doubt. Mugalya was accused of defrauding journalist Jamila Mulindwa Namuyiga in April 2022.
Mugalya, also known as Musajjawaza Achileo Migadde, falsely presented himself as the rightful owner of two plots of land in Kiwale, Nakwero, Wakiso district. He impersonated the registered proprietor of one plot and claimed to have purchased the second plot from its rightful owner, Fred Kalule. The two plots are identified as Kyadondo Block 167, Plots 9462 and 9463.
Court records show that Namuyiga had been searching for land on behalf of her mother when she was introduced to Mugalya through a broker, Brian Wasswa. On March 20, 2022, she and her family visited the land, where Mugalya introduced himself as Achileo Migadde Musajjawaza and claimed ownership of both plots.
After conducting a land search, Namuyiga established that Plot 9462 was registered in Mugalya's name, while Plot 9463 belonged to Kalule. Mugalya explained that he had purchased the second plot but had not yet transferred it into his name. He provided a telephone contact for Kalule, who allegedly confirmed the transaction.
On April 6, 2022, the parties met at Twed Towers in Kampala, where Mugalya presented duplicate certificates of title, transfer forms, a sale agreement, and a national identity card bearing his name. They agreed on a purchase price of Shs 55 million. Namuyiga paid Shs 48 million on the same day, and Mugalya acknowledged receipt in writing, before receiving the remaining Shs 7 million the following day.
The transaction collapsed when the documents were presented to the ministry of Lands for transfer, where officials discovered that both land titles were forged. A senior registrar of titles at the Kyaddondo Zonal Office, Yusuf Kakere, testified that the disputed titles contained forged signatures of senior land registry officials and bore an incorrect official seal.
Mugalya has been convicted of obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, and uttering a false document. The court is expected to proceed to allocutus, during which Mugalya will make submissions in mitigation before he can be sentenced.
Key points
- Mugalya was found guilty of defrauding journalist Jamila Mulindwa Namuyiga of Shs 55 million in a land transaction.
- The court found that Mugalya had made false representations about his identity and ownership of the land.
- Mugalya's conviction was based on circumstantial evidence demonstrating his participation in the fraudulent scheme.
