Angela Katatumba
KAMPALA: Singer Angela Katatumba has pinned City tycoon, Shukla Babubhai Mukesh aka Shumuk over forging the signature of her deceased father Boney Mwebesa Katatumba and those of other family members.
At the time of his death, Boney Katatumba was the Consul of Pakistan Islamic Republic in Uganda.
Mr Mukesh the Executive Director of Shumuk Aluminum Industries is charged with 13 counts of fraud.
In her testimony before magistrate Stella Amabilis, Angela told the court that she was following up some cases before Makindye Chief Magistrates Court in Kampala when she saw an application in which Mr Mukesh was seeking vacant possession of Hotel Diplomate in Muyenga. Hotel Diplomate belongs to the Katatumba family.
She testified that she found this curious because there was a court judgment that had been passed in favour of her family.
“I was surprised because now he had gone to a lower court seeking possession of our hotel. I looked at the affidavit in support was made by Mr Mukesh. Our family had not been served, I rushed to meet my family and showed them the forged handover document with our signatures,” Angela testified.
“Of course everyone at home denied participating in any meeting to handover Hotel Diplomate to Mr Mukesh. I and my twin brother rushed to the Chief Justice (CJ), Bart Katureebe’s office because one signature was for a person purported to be his head of security, ASP George William Karyegira.”
Angela said Mr Katureebe as well denied knowing Karyegira, however, he advised them to report the matter to police.
City businessman, Shukla Babubhai Mukesh in the dock at Buganda Road Court on November 26, 2018. PHOTO BY BETTY NDAGIRE
She added that upon hearing the CJ’s response they rushed to the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) where they were asked to make statements.
During cross-examination defence lawyer, Mr David Bwambale inquired as to whether Angela knew that his Client (Mukesh) reported the matter, in 2015, which he accused three men of swindling $125,000 from him under the disguise that they had possessed for him letters for the official hand over of the hotel.
In reply, Angela said she heard about a case against some men from father, however, the current case filed against Mr Mukesh is totally different.
Prosecution led contends that Mr Mukesh and others still at large on or about April 17, 2015 in Kampala district, with intent to defraud or deceive forged a letter for official hand over of Hotel Diplomate in Muyenga a Kampala suburb purporting to have been signed by the deceased Boney Mwebesa Katatumba.
It is still alleged that the accused forged signatures Anne Grace Katatumba, Angela Katatumba, Rugirwa Katatumba, Ian Katatumba and ASP George William Karyegira.
Since 2008, the Katatumba family has been embroiled in a protracted legal fight for the multi-billion properties with Mr Mukesh. These include a building in a prime city area on Plot 2 Colville Street in Kampala, Hotel Diplomate in Muyenga suburb and Katatumba Banda Island which had been transferred to Shumuk’s business empire.
