Invisible spot on blogger Titus Seruga has released a payment voucher allegedly from Af Mpanga/ Bowmans to Dfcu bank asking for release of money to fund what they termed ‘fake media campaign.
Bowmans is managed by AF Mpanga as a country Managing Partner in charge of Uganda.
The invoice raises more questions and credibility issues as far as Mpanga is concerned because in In December 2017, the Commercial Court disqualified Mr Mpanga, together with another city advocate Mr. Kanyererezi Masemmbe of MMAKS Advocates from Sh397b Crane Bank Limited and Sudhir Ruparelia’s case against Bank of Uganda (BoU), citing conflict of interest.
In his ruling delivered on December 21, 2017, the head of the commercial court division, Justice David Kutosi Wangutusi stated that David Mpanga of A.F. Mpanga Advocates and Timothy Masembe of MMAKS Advocates acted in violation of the Advocates (Professional Conduct) regulations.
Section 4 of the regulation provides that an advocate shall not accept instructions from any person in respect of a contentious or non-contentious matter if the matter involves a former client and the advocate as a result of acting for the former client is aware of any facts which may be prejudicial to the client in that matter.
Sources have revealed that Mpanga and two journalists plus a host of operatives are supposed to propel fake news campaign for the Dfcu bank especially as they plan to get meet with parliamentary Committee on Commissions, State Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).
Last Friday Eagle Online revealed that Dfcu Bank and a lawyer from prominent city law firm are said to be planning to set up Sudhir Ruparelia’s son Rajiv Ruparelia for purposes aimed at gathering information that the can use against the Ruparelia Group which is a holding company for various companies such as Meera Investments, Crane Services Management (CSM) and former Crane Bank Limited (CBL) among others.
In one of the leaked discussions between David Mpanga of AF Mpanga advocates, and other two people, the discussion is centred around a yet disclosed amount of money from Mpanga to allegedly fight bad/fake news campaign and also reportedly access Mr. Rajiv for a set up recordings that could be used against him.
The bank and the said law firm have lined up some news operatives to trick Rajiv into interviews so as to extract information that could be useful to Dfcu bank in case of pending court cases involving the two sides. According to the leaked discussion, the plan also involves recording Members of Parliament especially those on COSASE. Dfcu is the financier of the campaign while Mpanga is supposed to dig up old files and write articles involving the transaction he had with Sudhir while he still represented him.
In February 2018, CSML dragged Dfcu bank to the Commercial Court demanding that the bank pays it rent worth Shs5 billion.
The bill accumulated after Dfcu Bank occupied 13 properties around the country but later vacated some without paying a single penny in terms of rent one year down to the road.
On some properties where rent was prepaid, Dfcu did not bother to meet any of its obligations and continued occupying the premises till they elected to vacate the premises at the end of April 2017.
DFCU Bank also vacated the properties without serving the three months’ notice as stipulated in the contract was tantamount to breach. In so doing, Dfcu Bank was walking out of long term fixed rental contracts without renegotiating them.
In another rental agreement Crane Bank rented 38 apartments for staff on Plots 22, 24, 26 Kampala Road at a monthly Shs53, 928,000. The contract was fixed for five years with a 7 per cent interest. By the time Dfcu vacated the premises in April 2017 without renegotiating the contract, the unexpired period on the contract made them liable for Shs2, 873,246,953.
In the case of Mbale Branch, which Crane Bank was renting for US$8,361.77 per month, Dfcu left two months rental arrears and an unpaid three months’ notice period, altogether being liable for US $27,678.01?
“The defendants said nonpayment of rental arrears has not only caused the Plaintiff losses, deprived it of use of its money and interest, caused it more suffering and grave inconvenience, but it has also adversely affected the Plaintiffs’ businesses for which the Plaintiff claims general damages,” CMS’s suit reads in part.
CMS says that Dfcu has been notified of their grievances and demand notices sent to them but they have blatantly refused to pay up.
On top of $385,728.54 and Shs2, 998, 558,624, CMS has prayed to court to also grant it interest on the aforementioned sum at prevailing commercial rate until the arrears are cleared.
On the other Eagle Online understands DFCU Bank and the said law firm have tried to bribe the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) after it emerged that Dfcu bank bought CBL without following the proper due process. This was during the probe of the Bank of Uganda (BoU) senior staff.
Dfcu bank bought off CBL at Shs200 billion paid in installments even as BoU claimed to have sunk Shs478 billion in CBL during the takeover period that happened between October 20, 2016 and January 25, 2017. Unfortunately BoU has failed to account for this money.
It emerged also emerged that BoU sold CBL to Dfcu bank well knowing that Bank of Uganda Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme owns has 0.59 per cent shares in the bank which is a conflict of interest. Some of the documents relating to the sale of CBL are nowhere to be seen as MPs on COSASE found out.
That aside Rajiv in October 2018, threatened to sue Dfcu bank for publishing his mobile number in the press without his consent, adding that it caused enormous inconvenience to him. Rajiv wanted an apology from the bbank took it over.
Earlier Dfcu bank had threatened to sue Rajiv for allegedly spreading malicious propaganda against it using some media houses. Dfcu claimed that the propaganda aimed at collapsing it. But Rajiv has rubbished the accusation since no evidence is available to pin him.