Sim Box Fraud Convict Sentenced to 12 Months Imprisonment

Buganda Road Court Magistrate Eremye Mawanda has Friday June 16th sentenced Geoffrey Kasule to 12 months in Jail over sim box fraud against Airtel Uganda.

Kasule, 30, was convicted of three cases including Unauthorised use of interception of computer services contrary to Section 15 of the Computer Misuse Act, Electronic Fraud contrary to Section 19 of the Computer Misuse Act, and Establishing, operating and providing telecommunications services without a licence from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) contrary to Sections 78 and 22 of the UCC Act 2013.

While appearing in court on June 8th, the accused pleaded guilty to all the counts and he was convicted on his own plea of guilty.

State had prayed that court gives the accused a constraining sentence although the accused’s defence lawyers submitted that the accused was a first-time offender and, by pleading guilty, had saved court time.[related-posts]

Unauthorised use of interception of computer services attracts life imprisonment while Electronic Fraud attracts fifteen years’ imprisonment.

Magistrate Mawanda however made a decision to sentence the accused to 12 months on each counts, which sentences he will serve concurrently.

Kasule was arrested together with five others in an operation by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Airtel Uganda and the Police. His other counterparts were however released on bail.

The operation was mounted after a tipoff by Airtel officials who had intercepted an uncharacteristic call from United Kingdom to Uganda.

The call, on the receiver’s handset, indicated a local dialing code yet the caller was abroad and their phones were not roaming.

This is the first time such a case is appearing in Uganda.