By Andrew Irumba
The Management of Dfcu Bank is in panicky mode and regretting why they hired lawyers of Sebalu, Lule and Company Advocates to represent them in the takeover of Crane bank and the 48 properties that housed its branches.
Following the takeover Sebalu, Lule and Company Advocates misled Dfcu bank into illegally taking over properties that Crane Bank was leasing from tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia’s Meera Investments Limited.
However the deal, from which the lawyers pocketed millions of shillings, later backfired after the High Court nullified Dfcu Bank’s takeover of properties that belonged to Meera Investments under the claim that they were part of assets inherited from Crane Bank when it was dissolved and sold by Bank of Uganda.
Court also ruled that Dfcu bank had to revoke all certificates of title for the 48 properties and reinstate the status quo of Meera Investments as the bonafide owner of the properties.
It should be noted that Dfcu Bank had changed the certificates of title into the Bank’s names still on the advice of their lawyers of Sebalu, Lule and Company Advocates.
Dfcu Bank later, after realising that the lawyers has misled and made them lose millions of shillings in legal Misadvises, decided fire them, although the Bank still has to compensate Meera Investments with billions of shillings because of the time they have been illegally occupying the 48 properties.
The latest is that after firing Sebalu, Lule and Company Advocates, Dfcu Bank has instructed Kalenge, Bwanika, Ssawa & Co. Advocates to represent them in the suit filed by Meera Investments in which the Bank is accused of illegally grabbing Meera Investments properties.
The Bank’s new lawyers Kalenge, Bwanika, Sawa and Co. Advocates notified the High court about the changes in the defence team through a Notice dated November 20, 2019 which reads thus;
“We have been instructed by DFCU to represent it in the above proceedings in place of Sebalu and Lule advocates. We request that all further correspondences and or court process in connection thereto be forwarded to us.”
This is however the second time these lawyer are being kicked out cases involving Dfcu bank and tycoon Sudhir.
In April this year they were thrown out of a case Bank of Uganda and Dfcu bank had filed on behalf of Crane Bank, alleging that Sudhir had siphoned billions of shillings from Crane bank before it was dissolved and sold to Dfcu.
Court declared conflicted, and therefore unfit to represent the parties in a the longstanding commercial dispute, yet they had been lawyers of the aggrieved party before they were hired by Dfcu bank.
