KAMPALA: The Commercial Court in Kampala ordered Simbamanyo Estates Limited and its owner Peter Kamya to pay Equity Bank Uganda and two other companies Shs.1.3 billion in legal fees.
According to court records obtained by theKampalaReport, court registrar Elias Kisawuzi has ordered Simbamanyo and Kamya to pay Equity Bank Shs.600 million, Meera Investments Limited Shs.300 million, and Luwaluwa Investments Limited Shs. 300 million.
As a consequence, the court dismissed all six of Simbamanyo Estates’ and Peter Kamya’s earlier lawsuits.
The court denied the duo’s plea for the sale and transfer of Simbamanyo House and Afique Suites.
The Court of Appeal denied with costs an appeal by the administrators of Simbamanyo Estates Limited, who wanted the auctioning of the company’s prime properties in Kampala stopped so that Equity Bank Ltd could collect unpaid loans of $10.8 million (Shs40 billion).
In February of this year[2021], the Commercial Court dismissed the same lawsuit in which the owners of Simbamanyo Estates Limited sought to halt the auction of their principal property in Kampala by Equity Bank Limited to recover $10.8 million (Shs.40 billion) in outstanding loans.
Lillian Bucyana, assistant registrar, dismissed the issue on February 17, citing “the case was dismissed due to the ceiling’s failure to call for timely instruction.”
Judge Christopher Madrama had previously ruled that Simbamanyo Estates did not provide acceptable grounds for the court to dismiss the legal costs incurred by the bank.
“…the respondent (Equity Bank) upon being served, instructed lawyers and the lawyers took action to oppose the application by filing the appropriate affidavits in reply, as well as written submissions,” he ruled.
He condemned the applicant to costs.