Kampala entrepreneur Mukesh Shukla, who ran for the Nakawa West parliament seat, has been released on bail after being accused of obtaining money under false pretenses. Shukla was granted a cash bail of sh10m by Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate Erias Kakooza on Friday, May 17, 2024.
The prosecution alleges that Shukla received sh221.8m from Alvi Auto Village Limited by falsely claiming to lease them two plots of land between November 2020 and November 2021 in Banda and Nakawa Industrial Area, Kampala.
Shukla’s sureties were instructed to execute a non-cash bond of sh200m, and he was directed to deposit his passport in court. The magistrate noted that Shukla presented substantial sureties willing to produce him in court as needed and expressed his willingness to settle his debt with the complainant.
Shukla is facing charges alongside Judith Ayebare, manager of Shumuk Investments Limited, and Dharamdip Kadikar, accountant of Shumuk Group of Companies. They are accused of obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy to defraud, which carry potential sentences of up to five years imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretenses and up to three years for conspiracy to defraud.
Senior State Attorney Mariam Kluthum from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) informed the court that investigations are complete, and if a settlement isn’t reached out of court, the case will proceed to trial.
Shukla was arrested by court bailiffs on Wednesday and brought before the court, then remanded to Luzira Prison until his bail hearing on Friday.
The case is scheduled for mention on June 17, 2024. Will Shukla settle his debt and avoid trial, or will the case proceed to trial? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story!
