Buganda Road Court in Kampala has convicted Shumuk Investment Limited Executive Director Mukesh Shukla aka Shumuk on six counts of uttering false documents.
The charges stem from a false document issued by the businessman in the handover of Hotel Diplomat purporting the same had been signed by then owner Bonny Katatumba and his family members.
The said documents are said to have been issued in April 2015 and November 2017 indicating that the Katatumba family had authorized his takeover of Hotel Diplomat.
Evidence from seven prosecution witnesses convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that Mukesh had committed the crimes which he had earlier denied.
In her ruling, Magistrate Marion Mangeni has directed that Mukesh pays UGX2 million on each of the six counts, failure of which should see him sent to Luzira Prison for two years.
Welcoming the ruling, the Katatumba family lead by musician Angella Katatumba said: “This afternoon, Mukesh Shukla aka Shumuk was convicted of fraud in our case against him at Buganda Road Court. Thank God.”
Mukesh and the Katatumba family have been battling in court over the ownership of Shumuk House on Colville Street, Hotel Diplomat in Kampala, and Banda Island in Kalangala, since 2009.
In 2018, Mukesh’s file in which he was facing 13 counts ranging from forgery, uttering false documents and conspiracy to commit a felony, went missing according to reports at the time.