By Our Reporter
City businessmen Sudhir Ruparelia of Meera Investments Ltd, has been summoned to police together with Ronald Luwangula aka Luwaluwa Investments, to record statements over allegations that they illegally took over properties belonging to City Architect Peter Kamya, which they claimed to have bought from Equity Bank during an auction.
Whereas Sudhir purportedly bought and illegally caused the occupation of Simbamanyo House in Kampala by Meera Investments Ltd, Ronald Luwangula of Luwaluwa investments purportedly bought Afrique Suits hotel in Mutungo, a Kampala suburb.
It is alleged that Sudhir and Luwangula bought the said properties at an auction by Equity Bank under the cover up that Simbamanyo Estates reportedly failed to service a contested loan of USD10.5M with Equity Bank.
City Architect Peter Kamya, who has since filed a case in the high court commercial division not only contesting the failed loan allegations but also the illegal takeover of his properties, has gone ahead and filed a case with the police, tasking Sudhir and Luwaluwa to produce documents pertaining to the purported sale of his properties, a move that pundits say will expose any dishonest conduct, fraud and illegal action by some of the parties involved.
The police have since opened up a General Enquiry file into the matter vide number KMP/E/GEF/117/2020, upon which they have summoned Sudhir and Luwangula to record statements about the matter, explaining the process by which they acquired these properties, how much they bought Simbamanyo House and Afrique Suites, plus the documents they signed with Equity Bank about the purported sale.
This follows failure by Sudhir and Luwangula lawyers, while appearing in court a few days ago, to produce the documents indicating how they bought the Simbamanyo Estates properties as had previously been asked to table the same. The police summons were issued by D/SP Gimei Topher Nakoko, the Regional CID Officer KMP East, on December 17th, 2020.
“This office is conducting investigations in the alleged Criminal Trespass and Fraudulent Disposition of Mortgaged Goods/property,” the letter reads in part. “The purpose of this communication is therefore to kindly request you to avail us certified copies of transaction documents for the transfer of $1,000,000 from Meera Investments Ltd to Katende, Ssempebwa, and Company Advocates.”
“We also request to record statements from the Directors and Managing Directors on 5th/01/2021 at 10:00am at our offices in regard to the role you played between Equity Bank and Luwangula Ronald of Luwaluwa Investments in relation to the above transaction.”
Efforts to contact either Sudhir or Luwangula for a comment about the matter were futile by press time, since they couldn’t be reached through their known office lines.
City architect Peter Kamya, who owns Simbamanyo House and Afrique Suites, through his lawyers of Muwema & Co. Advocates, accuses Equity Bank of allegedly colluding with other people, among them Sudhir and Luwangula, of selling his properties to Meera Investments and Luwaluwa Investments respectively, after flouting all standard procedures like getting a valuer, making the auction public, notifying the property owner of the intended sale, notifying him before removing the caveats he had put on the suit property, these among others.