Businessman Mukesh fires blanks in court as he defends self in forgery case

Businessman Mukesh Babubhai Shukla who is also the Chief Executive Director of Shumuk Aluminum Industries on Thursday found a hard time defending himself in a case in which he is accused of forgery and uttering of false documents.

Mukesh is accused of forging a letter for official handover of Hotel Diplomate in Muyenga, a Kampala suburb, purporting to have been signed by the deceased Honorary Consular of Pakistan to Uganda Bonny Katatumba.

Mukesh also allegedly forged signatures of Anne Grace Katatumba, Angella Katatumba, Rugirwa Katatumba, Ian Katatumba and ASP George William Karyegira.

The businessman on Thursday started his defence in the case but he hardly achieved anything during the attempt before Buganda Road Grade One magistrate Marion Mangeni.

At the start of the proceedings, Mukesh, 59 presented to court a document to show that he had filed before the High Court an application to challenge the proceedings but was overruled by the magistrate who told him that filing an application doesn’t mean the trial in the lower court is halted.

After failing on that front, the businessman proceeding with his defence in which he told court that the Commercial Division of the High Court had ruled that he is the true owner of the disputed Hotel Diplomat in Muyenga.

“I have been in possession of the property since 2008. There is a Commercial Court judgment to show this,” Mukesh told court in his defence.

He also noted that Angella Katatumba and  Rugirwa Katatumba owed him money totaling to shs925 million that accrued for sleeping in two rooms at Hotel Diplomat that they had not paid.

However, when the trial magistrate reminded him that he was supposed to defend himself in regards the case of forgery and uttering false documents, Mukesh insisted that the said property belongs to him.

Asked to present documents including the Commercial Court judgement that he had earlier referred to, Mukesh said he didn’t have them with him.

The trail magistrate adjourned the case to Monday, January ,24, 2022 to enable Mukesh present documents to proof his allegations.

Charges

Mukesh is accused of forgery and uttering of false documents when he forged the signatures of the family members of Annie Grace Katatumba, Angella Katatumba, Ian Katatumba, Bonny Katatumba and Rugirwa Katatumba to show that the Katatumba family had authorized him to take over Hotel Diplomat in Muyenga.

The businessman is also accused of forging the signature of George William Kalyegira the officer in- Charge of Chief Justice Bart Katureebe's security detail.

Whereas the prosecution finished presenting its case over a year ago in which they presented over eight witnesses to prove forgery, Mukesh has on several occasions been summoned to defend himself in vain until today.