A former member of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Moses Kisambira has told court that the Mufti, sheikh Shaban Mubaje took a 300 million shilling bribe from Kampala Businessman Hassan Basajabalaba.
Kisambira was testifying in a case in which the mufti, together with Hassan Basajjabalaba, and Dr Edris Kasenene, the Council Secretary General are facing charges of fraudulent disposal of Muslim property, making documents without authority and conspiracy to defraud UMSC.
Kisambira told court that he learnt from Basajabalaba that the Muslim properties in Kololo, Luzira and on William Street were sold off on the Mufti's behalf, who demanded for a share of 300 million shillings.
The witness said that when he and some UMSC Officials confronted the Mufti over Basajabalaba's claims, he kept quiet prompting the Executive Committee to convene an impromptu meeting over the properties.
Mohammad Kisambira said that during the meeting Basajabalaba demanded a refund of 10.2 billion shillings which he claimed to have invested in the contentious properties before he could return them to Council.
The Mufti was also pinned by Hajji Adinan Koire, the UMSC Secretary for Finance and Financial Advisor to Kasenene.
Koire told court that he received two cheques of 600 million shillings from Basajabalaba, for the sublease of plots 102 in Kololo and 30 on William Street and placed them in the UMSC locker in the Bank.
Koire claims that although the Council was experiencing a serious financial crisis, as a Financial Advisor, he was not consulted so as to carry out a post benefit analysis of the plans.
The witness said Basajabalaba betrayed the trust of the Executive Committee by selling the plots he subleased from UMSC.
Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Margaret Tibulya adjourned hearing of the case to 11th of June.
