‘You Have No Powers To Carry Out Such Decisions’! AG Kiryowa Kiwanuka Cautions Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, DAPCB Over Cancelling Tittles/Certificates Of Departed Asian Properties

0
AG Kiryowa Kiwanuka Cautions Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, DAPCB Over Cancelling Tittles/Certificates Of Departed Asian Properties

AG Kiryowa Kiwanuka

By Uganda Online Media

Kampala: Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka has trashed the recommendations of COSASE which advised that the Finance minister should cancel land titles of departed Asians’ properties that had been fraudulently expropriated by the Departed Asians Properties Custodian Board (DAPCB).

According to the letter addressed to the Finance minister dated March 11, 2022, Kiwanuka noted that Matia Kasaija has no powers under the law to revoke the titles of the properties issued in error.

The minister of Finance oversees the management of the properties left behind by Asians who were expelled by Idi Amin in 1972.

Uganda Airlines To Launch Flights To London, India, DRC After Successfully Conducting Feasibility Studies

A sub-committee of the Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) of the 10th Parliament had directed the government to recover at least 100 Departed Asian properties repossessed by former owners and prosecute those who aided their fraudulent transfer.

The Cosase sub-committee had also recommended the prosecution of those who had taken possession of such properties and their reversion into the hands of the government.

However, Attorney General explained in his letter that such actions are illegal and would tantamount to serious legal consequences on the side of the government.

“Although the Cosase sub-committee investigations elicited findings similar to those of the old auditor General as contained in the two special audit reports, the recommendation of the Cosase subcommittee that DAPCB initiates the process for cancellation of certain repossession certificates and any substitute titles is legally untenable. This is in light of section 9 (1) (d) of the Expropriated Properties Act Cap 87 and case law and if carried forward such action would only increase on the number of lawsuits likely to cause substantial financial loss to the Government,” . Kiwanuka said.

He added whereas Section 9 (I) (d) of the Expropriated Properties Act gives the minister power to repossess, sell or dispose of the property for the failure of the former owner to return to Uganda in a period of 120 days, once the minister has issued a certificate of repossession, he has no power to cancel it.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20220328-WA0010.jpg

Accordingly, the Attorney General said the power to cancel a certificate of repossession “exclusively vests in the High Court.

“The recommendation of the Cosase subcommittee tor DAPCB to initiate the process for cancellation of repossession certificates acquired and any substitute titles is not capable of implementation in light of the existing case law,” he said.

“Any person who is aggrieved by any decision made by the Minister under the Act, may, within 30 days from the date of communication of the decision to him or her, appeal to the High Court against the decision. Needless to say, the time to do this has expired for many of the cases in the report. (1) Once the certificate of repossession (letter of repossession) has been issued, DAPCB has no mandate whatsoever to deal with such property,” he added.

In 2018, then Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Keith Muhakanizi warned the Executive Secretary of Departed Asians Property Custodian Board, Kampala, against the cancellation of repossession certificates of Asian properties.

“Reference is made to the recent meeting between the Honourable Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, yourself, and the undersigned with respect to the management of properties under the Departed Asians Property Custodian Board (DAPCB),” he wrote.

“The meeting guided that where a Repossession Certificate for properties any under the Board had been issued, only the relevant Courts of Law had the authority to cancel such certificates, in accordance with the law. Furthermore, it was agreed that the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Board must continue to respect the rule of law. Therefore, any orders of Court must be complied with. Please note that any person not acting in compliance with the law, will be held personally liable for whatever actions contrary to the law,” he added.

Last year, the Solicitor General also warned DAPCB that the Minister for Finance has no authority to cancel a certificate of repossession previously he/she issued and that the power is reserved for the High Court of Uganda under section 15 of the expropriated properties act cap 87.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Send this to a friend