Royal Mabati on the spot over top level fraud

By Our Reporter

On 4^th November 2022, Mercilus Opio, paid Ugx4.485m for iron sheets from the head offices in Nakawa. The two parties agreed that the client would pick the iron sheets when they are ready to consume it.

But in October 2022, when he went to the company to pick the iron sheets, the Royal Manager Country Manager Esther Wanjugu declined to give him his purchase, saying that his iron sheets were made, and stored in the company warehouse but the storekeepers could have sold it.

When Opio requested for a refund, he was told that it is impossible to do so since the product was made and recorded as a consumed product, meaning that it was sold.

Wanjugu told Opio to take the company to court if he is not satisfied with their explanation concerning his iron sheets. He asked the company to put it in writing but they declined.

Opio then lodged a complaint at Jinja Road Police Station on 12^th October 2022 under reference number SD REF:63/12/10/2022 CASE: 0/M/B/F/P. Two Police officers from the station escorted him to Royal Mabati premises to ascertain the facts on ground.

Wanjugu told the officers that the company was not going to give Opio his iron, and that they are ready to answer charges in court. A case of obtaining money with false pretense, and Wanjugu was summoned in court but she did not respond.

After playing hide and seek with the law enforcers, Wanjugu was arrested on 1^st November and put her behind bars at Jinja Road Police Station where she spent two days. She was released on police bond on 3^rd November.

The Police say that she was released on bond because she was going to discuss with her lawyers on how to settle the matter out of court.

When she reported to Police on 9th November, she was informed that her bond was cancelled, and she was remanded to Luzira Womens Prison until 22^nd November when the case will be summoned in court for the first hearing. The case will be heard by Principal Magistrate Esther Nakirya.

According to court documents, Opio who is the operations and marketing manager of Kampala Media Limited, the owners of the Kampala Report, a news website, and he deposited Shs4.48m with Royal Mabati in November 2020.

By press time, Royal Mabati had bowed to pressure in court,and agreed to refund Opio his money without costs since it is a criminal case.