Kampala – Businessman Rugiirwa Katatumba has come under scrutiny for falsely claiming that his criminal prosecution involved a legal battle with city tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia.
According to the prosecution, between September and November 2019, Rugiirwa obtained UGX 120 million from Prime Finance Company Limited, located at Crane Chambers in Kampala, with the promise of repayment with interest. However, he failed to service the loan and issued several bouncing cheques, which led to criminal charges being filed against him by the Ugandan government.
Following a court ruling in July, Rugiirwa went on the offensive, misleading the public by asserting that he had defeated Sudhir Ruparelia in court. This claim is false, as it was the government—not Ruparelia—that brought the case against him. Critics have pointed out that the Magistrate’s decision to return a car used as security, despite the creditor not being part of the case, was highly questionable. They argue that criminal cases typically involve arrests and fines, not the release of collateral.
Rugiirwa appeared before the Buganda Road Court, where Magistrate Fidelis Otwawo charged him with obtaining money by false pretense. After failing to clear the UGX 120 million debt, Rugiirwa was remanded to Kitalya prison. It’s important to note that Rugiirwa is the son of the late businessman and former Consular of the Pakistan Islamic Republic in Uganda, Bonny Katatumba.
Recently, a Magistrate dismissed the criminal case and acquitted Rugiirwa of the charges of obtaining money by false pretense. This ruling has prompted Rugiirwa to drag Sudhir Ruparelia’s name into the matter, despite the fact that the case was a criminal prosecution by the government, not a personal lawsuit involving Ruparelia.
