Two city businessmen have been remanded to Kitalya prison for allegedly forging a Shs1.7 billion agreement.

Mr John Bosco Lubega and Mr Amatos Mwebeiha appeared before the magistrate’s court at Makindye in Kampala on Tuesday evening.

They denied the accusations of forgery, uttering a false document, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour and giving false information to a public officer.

Presiding magistrate Patience Ronah Tukundane remanded the two suspects until today to enable the state respond to their bail application.

Prosecution asked the court for more time to verify the documents presented by the sureties of the suspects.

The two businessmen, who were arrested after the court issued an arrest warrant, are charged jointly with Mr Erisa Sebuwufu, a forensic documents examiner at police headquarters in Naguru, who was not in court.

The accusations are in regard to a purported acknowledgement of a debt allegedly by Pastor Daniel Walugembe committing himself to pay Mr Mwebeiha Shs1.75 billion.

Prosecution case

The state alleges that on May 6, 2019, at Muyenga, Kansanga in Kampala, with intent to defraud Pastor Walugembe, Mr Lubega and Mr Mwebeiha forged an agreement purporting that the man of God owed Mr Mwebeiha Shs1.75b whereas not.

The state alleges that between June and December 2019 at Kabalagala Police Station in Kampala, Mr Lubega and Mr Mwebeiha uttered a false document of an acknowledgement receipt dated June 2019 to the registrar of the Commercial Court.

False information

It is alleged that between June 2019 and February 2020 in Kampala, Mr Lubega, Mr Mwebeiha and Mr Sebuwufu conspired to commit a misdemeanour by giving false information to a police detective, Mr Moses Kalanyi.

The state alleges that between January and February 2020, the trio gave false information of the purported acknowledgement receipt to the police detective, claiming that it was signed by Pastor Walugembe whereas not.