Benefit fraud gang jailed

A nine strong immigration fraud gang who siphoned more than £4 million has been jailed today at Croydon Crown Court.

The gang used false identities to claim benefits and prescription drugs over a 19 year period.

49-year-old ringleader RuthNabuguzi, from Church Road in Newham, used several false identifies tofraudulently claim benefit payments for herself, helping to build a complexconsisting of luxury apartments, shops, restaurants and a hotel in her homecity of Kampala, Uganda.

She also created false identities for people she claimed were her children or dependents that enabled them to enter the country illegally from Uganda and claim benefits illegally.

Co-conspirators Eddie Semanda and Lina Katongola, arrested at a later date, also pleaded guilty to various charges. Katongola was sentenced to one year in prison while Semanda got a four month suspended sentence.

Yvette Syapjeu (also known as Mathy Matumba) was also arrested as part of the investigation and sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to various charges.

Another woman, Betty Tatiana Tibakawa, who also admitted charges, will be sentenced at a future date.

Kyeyune and Kaidi were sentenced to two and a half years, while Sekiziyuvu was jailed for three years. Sebutemba was given a one year suspended sentence. A jury had found them guilty of various immigration and fraud offences on 25 October following a six-week trial at Croydon Crown Court.

Alan Sentongo, 23, who lived at Kyeyune’s address, was cleared by the jury of one charge of possession of articles for use in fraud and one charge of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.

Passing the sentences today, the Judge commended the UK Border Agency’s criminal and financial investigation team that led the investigation.