Michael Ezra - Media News

Media News

In February 2004 Michael Ezra made a £60 Million bid to buy then English Premiership club Leeds United, causing the club's shares to go up by 14% as a result. The bid was rejected by the club.

In mid-2004 Michael Ezra made the Government of Uganda a US$ 30 million dollar offer to purchase the Uganda National Stadium (Mandela National Stadium).Although the media reported that the then State Minister for Sports, Henry Oryem Okello, expressed his support of the offer, there was no official response from the Government of Uganda.

In 2006, he was named the man of the year by a public poll held annually by The New Vision, a Ugandan media house.He was the runner-up to the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,for four years between 2003 and 2005 and in 2007.

In November 2006, he paid over a US$250,000 for an exclusive Mont Blanc wristwatch. The "one of one" timepiece was the object of an Emirates auction commemorating 100 years of Mont Blanc. With a reserve price of US$65,000, the auction attracted a total of 36 entries. Michael Ezra's bid constituted the single biggest purchase in the 60 year history of the Duty Free Industry. The timepiece was handed over to the Ugandan Businessman by His Highness Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum in Dubai.

In May 2008, he entered into negotiations with the French aircraft maker Airbus for an A380 to be used as a private jet.

In July 2009 a scam targeted towards fleecing Michael Ezra was discovered. He survived being conned by an American internet con artist who almost made away with US$5.93 million.

In August 2010,on his arrival back into the country, the media reported that Michael Ezra had not remitted taxes to the tune of 1.1 Billion (approximately $500,000) to the Uganda government.This prompted the tax body,URA,to request the government to impose a travel ban.Although,whether it was implemented or not was not revealed. Around the same time it emerged in the mainstream media that Michael Ezra was ordered by the commercial court to pay back a loan of roughly Ush 430 Million (approx. $195,000),including interest,to National Bank of Commerce (Uganda).

In September 2010, he called a press conference in one of the most luxurious hotels in the Ugandan capital Kampala and displayed a stack of $ 3 Million dollars to prove to the world that he is yet to go broke as alleged by the Ugandan media. The allegations stem from his failure to pay Uganda's tax body 1.3 billion Shillings in taxes. The tax body had asked the Internal Affairs ministry to withhold his passport.

In October 2010,while touring Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi Kenya,he informed the Daily Monitor of his offer to the Uganda Cranes of US$ 650,000 should they qualify to the 2012 African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.He has also thrown in an additional US$ 50,000 if they win the Group J qualifier against Kenya's Harambee Stars on 9 October 2010 in Nairobi Kenya.The $650,000 will be broken down as follows 18 Players $30,000 each, Coach $60,000, Assistant Coach $25,000, Goalkeeping Coach $25,000.

In February 2011, Michael Ezra was ‘arrested’ by the Kenyan police who were acting on an arrest warrant issued by the court the previous year. It was said Ezra did not honor court summons to defend himself against allegations that he issued a cheque worth $200,000, which was dishonored, to a Kenyan company. Ezra, through his lawyer, said he was not aware of the summons and denied the charges brought against him. His lawyer said that the offense was a misdemeanor and bailable. He also argued that Ezra was a prominent international businessman who owned numerous properties in Kenya and was not arrested but handed himself to the authorities and therefore was not a flight risk. The Judge granted a bail of Ksh 6 Million ($78,000). Ezra’s lawyer claimed in court that a Kenyan businessman was framing his client with the intention of extorting money from him. The case is to be heard on 10 May 2011.

In October 2011; Michael Ezra Mulyoowa, in true philanthropic style, said he will award the Uganda Cranes with half of the October 2010 pledge of US$ 650,000 despite them not qualifying for the Africa Cup Of Nations. He promised they would receive the money by the end of November 2011. Each of the 18 players stands to receive US$15,000. The Cranes coach would pocket US$30,000 with his assistant and goalkeeping coach receiving US$12,500 each.