Court convicts Shumuk boss of uttering false document
Mukesh Babubhai Shukla (inset). Also in the picture is Angella Katatumba (F) with her brothers and their lawyer at Buganda Road Court after the ruling against Kampala businessman Mukesh Shukla of SHUMUK on October 24, 2022. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Mukesh told court that he was respectful of the findings and was satisfied on the outcome of the 13 counts.
Court has convicted Mukesh Babubhai Shukla, a Kampala businessman and chief executive director of Shumuk Aluminum Industries, of six counts of uttering a false document.
Grade One Magistrate Marion Mangeni convicted Mukesh on charges related to uttering a false document in form of a letter for the official handover of Hotel Diplomat Muyenga.
He purported that the letter had been signed by the late Bonny Katatumba, the former Consular of Uganda to Pakistan and his other family members.
Court sentenced Mukesh to pay a fine of Shs2 million on each of the six counts or serve two years imprisonment in Luzira prison.
He was, however, acquitted on the six other counts of forgery and conspiracy to commit a felony which the court ruled that the State had not proved.
“All the seven prosecution witnesses testified that a document was forged but no evidence was brought to show involvement of anyone else apart from the accused; however, the accused had no co-accused so he could not have conspired alone thus I acquit him of the charge of conspiracy to defraud,” Ms Mangeni ruled.
“The accused denied ownership saying the document was received from one Luzinda Cirus at the company and his evidence has not been challenged by prosecution_ so who made it? I am not convinced by evidence on record that the accused made the document; and the court cannot safely convict him. I acquit him on forgery,” she added.
Court ruled that Mukesh knew about the forgery but went ahead to take the court into a full hearing which was a sign of not being remorseful.
Mukesh told court that he was respectful of the findings and was satisfied on the outcome of the 13 counts he was charged with; but prayed for court to be lenient and give a fine instead of a custodial sentence because he has no criminal record.
Ms Mangeni considered Mukesh’s submissions through his lawyer that he is a family man, a first-time offender and an employer with dependents thus a fine would be appropriate for him.
Prosecution
Prosecution had told court that Mukesh and others still at large on or about April 17, 2015 in Kampala, with intent to defraud or deceive, forged 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.
Prosecution led by Ivan Kyeyune had said Mukesh also allegedly forged signatures of Anne Grace Katatumba, Angella Katatumba, Rugirwa Katatumba, Ian Katatumba and ASP George William Karyegira.
The prosecution had further stated that on November 6, 2017 at Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala, Mukesh fraudulently uttered a false document as a purported official handover letter of Hotel Diplomate.
