Former Gulu Municipal MP Acire Loses House In Court Battle

By Allan Richard Odoch

High court in Gulu  on Tuesday ruled that former Gulu Municipality Member of Parliament Christopher Acire is illegally occupying a house he was claiming as his.

Court rile that the house belongs to one Joseph Oryema Oringa, a Gulu businessman to whom Mr Acire sold the house in March 2014 at a cost of 200 million shillings.

However since selling the house, Acire refused to vacate the premises, prompting Mr Oryema to seek redress in court.

The house in question is on plot 10 Market Street in Gulu town and houses Mr Acire’s Gulu FM, a local broadcast company.

The house belonged to Urib Wunu Mon Cooperative and Credit society (UWUMFO) in which Mr Acire was at the time of the sale and until now is a director.

On March 6, 2014, the board of UWUMFO resolved to sale the house. The board of directors meeting was chaired by Mr Acire.

Mr Oryema said he paid 200 million shilling in cash to the board of directors of UWUMFO in a meeting on March 25, 2014.

“After the full payment of the money, Acire himself signed the sale agreement and agreed to handle over the property,’’ Mr Oryema told journalists after the court ruling.

However, Acire refused to vacate the property.

Oryema is demanding for rent arrear from Mr Acire from March 2014 at 500,000 shillings.

On February 14 Mr Oringa’s lawyers are expected to file costs of the suit at the Gulu high court.

Acire and his lawyer were not present in court at the time of the ruling presided by Justice Vincent Okwanga.

“The defendant (Acire) is the same Individual and brain that signed the sales agreement, but the law won’t allow him to sign with one hand and refuse with another,” Justice Okwalinge read in his ruling.