Businessman Mukesh Shukla Babubhai was found guilty on six counts of filing a false document by the Buganda Road Magistrates’ Court.
On Monday evening, Mukesh was found guilty by the court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Marion Mangeni of fabricating a letter for the official handover of the Hotel Diplomat Muyenga, claiming it was signed by the late Bonny Katatumba, the former Ugandan consul to Pakistan, and his other family members.
The other family members included Annie Grace Katatumba, Angella Katatumba, Ian Katatumba, Bonny Katatumba and Rugirwa Katatumba.
The statements are reported to have been made on April 17, 2015, and November 2017, indicating that the Katatumba family had given him permission to take over Hotel Diplomat. The documents also bore the signature of George William Kalyegira, the officer in charge of the former Chief Justice Bart Katureebe’s security detail.
The court was informed that the prosecution’s seven witnesses provided proof that Mukesh had actually committed the crimes against him, which he had previously denied.
The same court cleared him of seven counts involving the forgery of those documents on the grounds that there wasn’t enough proof to prove he was the one who had done it.
After Mukesh was found guilty, the prosecution, led by Ivan Kyazze, requested that the court sentence him to prison, claiming that such cases are common in the nation, particularly in the territory of Buganda Road Court.
In contrast to going to jail, Mukesh argued that caution would be a more appropriate punishment for him because he is an elderly man with a family to support.
The court was informed that Mukesh is a boss to a lot of people and that putting him in jail might have an impact on their welfare.
In her decision, Magistrate Mangeni ordered Mukesh to pay a Shs2 million fine on each of the six counts, failing which he would spend the next two years in Luzira prison.