Uganda: Chinese nationals plead guilty to telecoms crimes
Uganda
,
31 Mar 2020
Uganda police have charged 37 Chinese nationals for a range of telecoms-linked offences including the illegal possession of over 2 000 SIM cards. All but four of those charged have pleaded guilty and are being remanded in custody while awaiting sentencing.
The accused were charged with the unlawful procurement of 1895 Airtel SIM cards and 223 MTN airtime cards, as well as conducting businesses in Uganda without trading licenses, plus the illegal possession of endangered wildlife.
They appeared at Uganda’s Buganda Road Magistrates Court, before Magistrate Marion Mangeni.
According to court documents, the offences were committed between December 2019 and March 2020.
The prosecution team told the court that on 19 March this year, three suspects were caught illegally disassembling several mobile phones and computers for trading purposes within the Kira Municipality, Wakiso district.
Following a search of the suspects’ premises in Kireka, police uncovered a number of suspected stolen tech products including computer motherboards, phones and electricity meters.
The Prosecution claimed the Airtel SIM cards and MTN airtime cards were being used for bogus financial transactions.
Those charged are being remanded at Uganda’s newly constructed Kitalya government prison.
Sentencing for those who pleaded guilty is expected on 31 March 2020 and on 9 April 2020, those who denied the charges will appear in court.
The government of Uganda has repeatedly expressed concern over the availability of illegally obtained unregistered SIM cards in the market.
In January, the country’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, Major General Muzeyi Sabiti, met telecom operators and officials from Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) over illegal SIM card registration that could facilitate crime in different parts of the country.
Following this meeting a task team was formed to investigate how this situation can be tackled effectively.