Chief Justice impostors denied bail again
KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi (centre) poses with the ushers for the city carnival due this weekend. PHOTO by ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
The trio and others still at large in 2015 in Kampala obtained $125,000 from Mr Shukla Mukesh, the chief executive officer of Shumuk Group of Companies, by pretending that they had been sent by Chief Justice Katureebe.
KAMPALA.
The High Court in Kampala has refused to grant bail to three traders charged with impersonating Chief Justice Bart Katureebe and defrauding the head of Shumuk Group of Companies of $125,000 (about Shs419m).
The suspects, Mr Bob Joseph Nabasa, 33, and Mr Martin Matovu, 45 and Saleh Luzinda appeared before Justice Wilson Masalu Musene. The judge said there was no exceptional circumstance to justify bail for them.
They are facing nine counts of obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and uttering false documents.
They were first denied bail on February 3 by Buganda Road Chief Magistrate James Ereemye after the State prosecutor, Mr Jonathan Muwaganya, queried the credibility of the sureties’ documents, saying they looked forged.
During the hearing of the second bail application in the High Court yesterday, the state attorney, Mr Wanamama, submitted that since the case involves huge sums of money, the suspects might escape justice if they are released on bail.
Justice Musene concurred with the prosecution and declined to grant the suspects bail. However, he tipped them to apply for bail again if the prosecution delays to present more witnesses. Only two witnesses had testified by yesterday.
Prosecution contends that the trio and others still at large in 2015 in Kampala obtained $125,000 from Mr Shukla Mukesh, the chief executive officer of Shumuk Group of Companies, by pretending that they had been sent by Chief Justice Katureebe.
It is further alleged that in April 16, 2015, they also forged a letter purporting that it had been signed by the Chief Justice.
The State alleges that the three submitted a false document dated April 16, 2015, as an instrument of handover of the contested Hotel Diplomate to Mr Mukesh, purporting that the said letter had been authored by Justice Katureebe.
