Ugandan £4m Benefits Plot: Nine Face Sentencing

L to R: Sekiziyuvu, Kaidi and Sebutemba

Four members of a Ugandan family, who masterminded an 18-year £4m plot to defraud immigration and DSS departments by creating and using a string of false identities, were convicted today.

"When the phrase 'family business' was used that was no cliche, that was a reality," commented Croydon Crown Court Judge Nicholas Ainley. "Sentences of imprisonment are inevitable in this case."

Ringleader Ruth Nabaguzi, 49, of Church Road, Forest Gate, East London landed the NHS with a £2,280,000 bill for HIV Aids medication alone by obtaining multiple quantities in different identities.

She already pleaded guilty to a total of twenty-six charges and remains in custody awaiting sentencing with a separate four defendants who have also admitted their role.

Convicted today were: Lamulah Sekiziyuvu, 36, of Palmerston Road, Manor Park; Albert Kaidi, 27, and mother-of-two Jordan Sebutemba, 26, both of South Esk Road, Forest Gate and Dennis Kyeyune, 29, of Mitcham Road, Mitcham. 

The jury found them guilty of conspiring to defraud immigration and DSS departments and other government departments between June 12, 1993 and September 9, 2011.

Kaidi alone was convicted of assisting unlawful immigration on or about September 24, 2006 and making a false statement to obtain jobseeker's allowance between March 26, 2009 and August 24, last year.

The prosecution have calculated the total loss at £3,950,000, which includes £154,000 in state education; £37,500 in higher education; £650,000 form a sub-letting scam involving properties in receipt of housing benefit and £900,000 in other benefits.

"This case is summarised in two words: 'Identity fraud.' It is at the heart of this case against these defendants," prosecutor Mr. Paul Raudnitz told the jury.

"The allegation is that they conspired together and with others, in particular Ruth Nabaguzi, to systematically, use, create and exploit false identities to facilitate fraud.

"These identities were misused to facilitate benefit and immigration fraud."

Describing Nabaguzi as the plot's ringleader Mr. Raudnitz added: "She was at the heart of the conspiracy. She agreed with people to use false identities to facilitate fraud.

"Each defendant at different times joined the conspiracy, attaching themselves to the agreement at some stage and it's tentacles went far and would do so for many years."

The prosecution say Sekiziyuvu is either Nabaguzi's daughter or niece and Kyeyune is her son.

"She employed multiple different identities and her true identity may never be known," explained Mr. Raudnitz of Nabaguzi.

"All the defendants are either children of hers or related or associated with her."

During a police and UK Border Agency raid on an address in Mitcham Road, Mitcham on September 8, last year Kyeyune was arrested.

"Concealed in the shed roof in the back garden was a black holdall and inside was a vast array of passports and documents in multiple different identities.

"This was, in effect, a kit bag for identity fraud," said the prosecutor.

"Nabaguzi adopted and ruthlessly abused identities and obtained immigration status for herself in a number of different identities and for a number of other people and from them benefit claims would be made."

Extradited Pensioner Convicted Of Sex Crimes From 1949

A pensioner – extradited from Australia – was convicted today of decades-old sex offences against four young girls when they were aged nine to sixteen years-old.

The crimes dated back to 1949 and 78 year-old ex-serviceman and miner Reginald Davies (pictured), who had emigrated down under, must have thought he had got away with it.

Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard Davies, now staying in Esbies Estate, Sawbridgeworth, was responsible for an “entrenched pattern of sustained sexual abuse.”

He denied, but was convicted of 13 of sixteen offences, against the girls in Abertridwr, Caerphilly, Wales.

Davies was extradited from Perth, where he had emigrated over twenty years ago.

The court heard he would lavish the girls with attention and "test the water" by asking them for a kiss, would touch their legs and then forced them into sexual acts.

Hanna Llewellyn-Waters, prosecuting, said: "The defendant nurtured a fear of disclosing the abuse in the complainants when they were children.

"He made them feel that they would not be believed, that they were to blame and, on occasion, he threatened that they would be removed from their parents if they were to report his abuse of them.

"As the complainants grew up, they tried to block the abuse from their minds in order to try to be able to continue with their lives."

He was arrested last July at his adopted home of Wanneroo on Australia's west coast.



The offences were investigated by specialist detectives from the Met’s Child Abuse Investigation team.



The jury heard Davies abused his victims while he was aged between 15 and 39.



He also told one of his victims she would be taken to a "naughty girl's home" if she spoke to anyone about the abuse, and she would never see her mother again.





Davies moved to Australia in 1974, but in 2008 two of his victims, whilst were holidaying in the country, decided to confront him and report him to the local authorities.

In August 2010 the Met were granted an arrest warrant for Davies’ extradition and arrest.



On September 28, last year Davies was arrested by the Australian authorities and escorted onto an airplane bound for London where he was met by detectives at Heathrow Airport and charged.



Detective Inspector Tessa Philpott of the Child Abuse Investigation Command, said: 

”When Reginald Davies emigrated to Australia in 1974 he thought that he had left behind not only the UK, but also the horrendous catalogue of abuse he committed against four small children.

“I would imagine he thought his past would never catch up with him and he would never face justice, but thanks to the bravery of his victims, his past did catch up with him, and today he faces justice.

“I hope that this will go some way towards helping his victims whose lives have been blighted by him, to move forward in some small way.

“I also hope that his extradition from the other side of the world and conviction give other victims the confidence to come forward and report their experiences to the police.”

Davies was convicted of: attempted rape of a child under the age of 12, between1949 and 1953; indecent assault of a child under the age of 15, between 1949 and 1956.



Attempted rape of a child under the age of 12, during 1955; indecent assault of a child under the age of 14, between 1953 and 1957; indecent assault of a child under the age of 14, between 1953 and 1957.

Indecent assault of a child under the age of 14, between 1953 and 1957; indecent assault of a child under the age of 14, between 1953 and 1957; indecent assault of a child under the age of 14, between 1953 and 1957.

Indecent assault of a child under the age of 14, between 1953 and1957; inciting a child under the age of 12 to commit an act of gross indecency between 1965 and 1968; rape of a child under the age of 12, between 1968 and 1969.

Rape of a child under the age of 12, between 1970 and 1971 and indecent assault of a child under during 1973.

Bogus Immigrant Investor Will Try And Stay In UK

A Pakistani student, granted a visa to study at a bogus London college, will be allowed to fight for residency in the UK despite being jailed for supplying forged bank statements in a bid to falsely obtain investor status.

When 23 year-old Umar Siddique's renewed student visa was close to expiring he presented the false statements to the Home Office, purporting he was investing £205,000 in the country, hoping it would lead to permanent residency as a Tier One Entrepreneur.

Croydon Crown Court (pictured) heard the offence would not automatically trigger a deportation order and Siddique, of Roman Road, Bow will continue in his application for residency when released in a few days.

He pleaded guilty to seeking to obtain leave to remain in the UK by deceptive means on or before November 21, last year by supplying false documents to the Home Office suggesting he had funds in excess of £200,000 - the minimum amount required to receive the visa.

Siddique arrived in the UK in October, 2009 on a student visa to study at the Sirm College, which was later black-listed and removed from the register of approved educational institutions.

He won a visa extension to study IT at Cromwell College and should have returned home upon completion of his studies last year.

However, Siddique made the false application and prosecutor Miss Shekinah Anson said: "The documents supplied included bank statements in his name that showed investors had transferred two hundred and five thousand pounds into it.

"The account was genuine, but the balance was not."

Siddique, who has been in custody since June 8, claims "a moment of desperation" led to the offence when faced with having to leave the country he wished to call home and live and work in.

A sentence of a year or more would have automatically triggered deportation, but Judge Shani Barnes agreed to limit it to nine months, announcing: "It would be wrong of me to cut off an avenue he could pursue."

Current guideline suggest twelve to eighteen months imprisonment for the offence, but Siddique is entitled to a discount for a guilty plea, even thought he entered it on the day of the trial.

"You came to this country legitimately, you studied hard and started again and successfully completed your education here," Judge Barnes told the defendant.

"You have attempted to stay here under false pretences and you are lucky it failed because your life here would have been built on a lie. You can now make your application and take your chances in the legitimate way."

Woman Caught In Control Of Bent Money

A woman, who found herself in control of £5,000 in illegal funds transferred to an online gambling account after a banking scam, will now have to do 160 hours of community service work.

Jobless Sarah Moore, 50, (pictured) of Hollywoods, Courtwood Lane, Croydon never got her hands on the cash and has signed it over to the bank.

She pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to converting criminal property between March 23, 2009 and October 15, last year.

The court heard an individual known only as 'Rob' moved money stolen from Santander Bank to the Corals Bookmaker's account.

He found it impossible to withdraw the loot so allowed Moore to take charge of the account, but it was frozen by suspicious Corals staff and the defendant was later arrested.

Mum Jailed For Smuggling Drugs On Kids' Trip

An Edmonton mother-of-two, who used her children as cover while smuggling £47,000 worth of cannabis through Gatwick Airport after a Caribbean holiday, has been jailed for three years.

Judian Lindsay-Smith, 34, of St. Joseph's Road posed as an innocent tourist returning from Jamaica with her children, aged 14 and 8, but was carrying 34lbs of the drug.

She denied, but was convicted at Croydon Crown Court of importing cannabis at the airport on February 20.

“It is well known that people use children to make them look less suspicious,” said Judge Shani Barnes.

“You used a fourteen year-old and an eight year-old to do what you did on that journey,” the judge told Lindsay-Smith. “It was a terrible error of judgement.

“I have to assume this was for financial reward and I know your family is going to suffer.

“When people are convicted of serious offences they leave behind a trail of destruction.”

The court heard UK Border Agency staff were monitoring baggage as it was unloaded from the Kingston flight.

A black suitcase bearing the defendant's address was checked and contained 17lbs of herbal cannabis wrapped in foil.

A brown suitcase, which also had the same address, was searched and another 17lbs of the drug was inside.

Officers observed as Lindsay-Smith's teenage son collected the suitcases and the family tried to depart via the 'nothing to declare' channel.

They were stopped and the defendant claimed she had only visited Jamaica to see her elderly grandmother, who had suffered a stroke eighteen months earlier.

She had spent eight days abroad and denied knowing there was cannabis in both her suitcases, later denying they were her suitcases at all.

The jury were also told each bag weighed 17lbs less on departure than when Lindsay-Smith returned.

Paedo's Abuse Leaves Girl Suicidal

A soccer coach who "conducted a campaign of sexual abuse" against a young girl for three years, leaving her feeling suicidal, has been jailed for six years.

Quantity surveyor and former accountant Robert Davis, 42, (pictured) of Denning Avenue, Waddon began molesting the youngster in March, 2007 when she was only twelve years-old.

He forced her to give distressing evidence at Croydon Crown Court, where after a nine-day trial the jury convicted him of six counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The offences took place at an address in Harewood Gardens, South Croydon where Davis performed sex acts on the girl and forced her to perform sex acts on him.

The charges were sample counts reflecting numerous assaults, which at their peak occurred weekly.

During the trial he claimed victim, who once tried to kill herself as a result of the abuse, had invented the allegations, but during his probation interview accepted his responsibility.

"Over a three-year period you conducted a campaign of sexual abuse against that young girl, committing a variety of sexual offences," Judge Daniel Flahive told Davis.

"We know you were keen to work with the girl's football team and as she grew older you became more sexually attracted to her.

"Some of the evidence she gave was in graphic detail and at times she cried and we heard she got to the stage where she wanted to kill herself.

"She did attempt suicide and showed us where she had marked her arms with a pair of scissors or a razor," added the judge.

"She was put through mental anguish and you told her at one point it was: 'Our little secret."

Davis will complete an additional two years on licence when released from prison and an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made restricting his future contact with children aged under sixteen year-old.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for an indefinite period. 

Duped 'Wife' Avoids Prison For Marriage Lies

A young Redhill woman, who lied about living with her Albanian boyfriend when successfully obtaining a marriage certificate, escaped prison with a suspended sentence on Wednesday.

Zoe Stone, 25, (pictured) of Gatton Park Road was originally charged with participating in a sham marriage with Pellumb Uka, who has since dumped the seven-months pregnant defendant.

She pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to knowingly or wilfully making a false oath or declaration to procure a marriage certificate or licence at Leatherhead registry office on December 13, last year, contrary to the Perjury Act.

Prosecutor Mr. Nick Cooper told the court first-time offender Stone, a dispenser with Boots, signed a declaration confirming she and Mr. Uka were residing together, which was not true.

“The defendant had a relationship with Pellumb Uka's brother in August, 2008 and when Pellumb came to this country he was refused asylum and in February, 2009 left voluntarily.

“Pellumb applied for, but was refused a marriage visa, but successfully appealed the decision and returned to this country and married the defendant.”

Stone denies she ever dated Pellumb's brother and maintains their relationship was genuine as far as she was concerned.

The prosecution accept she made no financial gain from the marriage.

Recorder Andrew Baillie QC told Stone: “I accept you entered into a genuine marriage with a man who has since disappeared and is no longer available.”

The court heard Pellumb has left another young woman in a similar position.

“I know your case always was that this was a genuine marriage, but the offence does undermine the institution of marriage,” added the Recorder.

Stone was sentenced to five months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, ordered to obey a condition of residence at the family home for one month and pay £250 costs.

Businesswoman Cleared Of 'Road Rage' Attack

A wealthy Porsche-driving businesswoman finally won her appeal today against a violent 'road rage' conviction for repeatedly kicking a chauffeur while screaming: "I'm gonna break your f***ing legs if you don't get out of my car."

The chauffeur suspected Maria Lemos, 41 - the director of a furniture design company - was drunk when her £55,000 4x4 Cayenne bumped into the rear of his E-class Mercedes.

Lemos, (pic.l.) of Bryanston Court, George Street, Marble Arch - where an apartment recently sold for £2.7m - claims she thought she was being car-jacked and was desperately defending herself.

She hired leading QC Mark Ellison, who successfully argued her behaviour was not unreasonable in the circumstances.

She was originally convicted of assaulting Kenneth Oakley,51, (pic.r.) in Chelsea Bridge Road on November 7, 2010 and fined £600, with £300 costs and ordered to pay £100 compensation to the victim.

However, Judge Anthony Pitts dismissed the charge at Southwark Crown Court, agreeing with Lemos' QC that rather than detaining the defendant Mr. Oakley should have taken other options.

The court ruled Mr. Oakley should have either called police earlier, tried to obtain Lemos' name, address and phone number or at least take her registration number so she could be traced.

Mr. Oakley told the court he approached the defendant after their vehicles made contact at traffic lights.

"I did smell what I believed to be alcohol coming from the car and the lady. Her eyes were glazed and her speech was slurred."

Lemos got out of her Porsche and after dismissing Mr. Oakley's claims of contact tried to drive off.

"Then it all got a bit horrible," the chauffeur told the court. "I stood in front of her door  to stop her and she pulled the door forcibly, slamming it into my arm.

"A lot of abusive language started to come out and I was also kicked twice. There was enough force to make me wince."

Meanwhile, the defendant, who had been planning to collect her children, was on the phone to her businessman husband George Lemos with a running commentary of the incident.

"Because of the pain I moved back," said Mr. Oakley. "She started driving and I got out of the way, not wanting to be run over."

Lemos was arrested at the family home that night and charged on January 10, last year, maintaining her innocence throughout.

She told the original trial she feared being the victim of a potential car-jacking, describing Mr. Oakley as: "Angry, forceful and aggressive."

Denying she had been drinking Lemos said: "He was pissed off and I was scared and just had to get out of there. I was just trying to escape."

She admitted kicking out at the victim, but insisted it was in self defence.

"I heard these stories growing up. They try to get into your car."

Cowboy Builder's Scam Profits Laundered Via Bank Account

A money launderer washed £31,000 through his bank account, which had been scammed from a pensioner by cowboy builders for work on his suburban driveway, a jury were told today.

Alan Hayton, 63, (pictured) of Portland Avenue, Sittingbourne paid a £17,000 cheque made out 'to cash' into his account and a second £14,000 cheque was blocked by suspicious bank staff.

The victim, John Devereux, of Belmont Road, Chislehurst, also paid another £8,000 cash to the builders, who have never been caught after his partner, who is recovering from a brain tumour, was preyed upon.

Hayton has pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court to acquiring criminal property, namely the two cheques between June 28 and July 14, last year, converting criminal property, namely the £17,000 cheque and attempting to convert criminal property, namely the £14,000 cheque.

Prosecutor Miss Rebecca Foulkes told the jury Mr. Devereux returned home to find his driveway being dug up after the builders had a conversation with his partner.

"She told him they had come around and knocked on the door and she had given permission to work on the drive and an Irishman, known as 'John' arrived later.

"The work continued and Mr. Devereux was asked for a cheque for seventeen thousand pounds and even though he was shocked by the amount, after a conversation he wrote a cheque, leaving the payee blank.

"That cheque went into the bank account of Mr. Hayton and Mr. Devereux then paid eight thousand pounds cash for a pipe to be laid under the driveway.

"A few days later Mr. Devereux was asked for more money for a trench and wrote out a cheque for fourteen thousand after first being asked for twenty thousand."

Again the cheque was paid into Hayton's account, but was blocked by the bank and trading standards alerted.

The determined cowboy builders even tried to persuade Mr. Devereux to make an electronic transfer payment, but fortunately this was unsuccessful.

"These sums were criminal property because they were obtained by fraud perpetuated on Mr. Devereux and his partner," added Miss Foulkes.

"They could see she was a vulnerable person and they took advantage and lied to Mr. Devereux about he cost of work to the driveway and the house.

"The work on the driveway was worth a small fraction of what was paid out and Mr. Hayton must have known or suspected these cheques were the proceeds of criminal property and allowed his account to be used."

Hayton claims he cashed the cheques for a man called Joe Joyce in return for a £24 crate of beer.

Trial continues……………

Bungling African Bank Fraudster Posed As Chinese Customer

A Congolese immigrant, who unconvincingly posed as a Chinese woman in a bid to extract £550 from the victim's bank account, was jailed for six months yesterday.

Single-mum Angel Makizembi, 52, of Trulock Court, Trulock Road, Tottenham was trapped by suspicious bank staff and more stolen cards were found on her when searched by police.

She pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Halifax, High Street, Sutton on March 14, namely that she was entitled to withdraw funds from the account of Miss LP Chung.

Jobless cleaner Makizembi also pleaded guilty to six counts of handling stolen bank cards belonging to women, who had all been expecting replacements in the post.

Prosecutor Miss Shahnaz Ahmed told Croydon Crown Court (pictured): “The defendant went to the bank with a genuine card in the name of another woman and tried to withdraw money.

“Staff were suspicious and called the police and when the defendant was arrested and searched five other cards were found on her.

“All of those customers were awaiting replacement cards in the post so there is a strong suggestion these cards were intercepted.”

Makizembi, who has previous convictions for similar offences, claims a mystery man known only as 'Olo' supplied the cards and promised her a £50 commission on successful withdrawals.

She admitted making three similar unsuccessful attempts to withdraw cash from banks with the cards.

Judge Daniel Flahive told Makizembi: “It strikes me that you do not learn from non-custodial sentences and you have continued to offend in this way.

“You have been to the courts time and time again and it seems you will not learn otherwise.”

Nursery Camera Perv Jailed For Filming Toddlers

A trusted child care assistant, who secretly filmed up young girls' skirts while supervising them and also installed a secret camera in the ladies toilet at a suburban nursery, was jailed for twelve months today.

James Hoffman, 32, of Purley Knoll, Purley also secretly recorded three young children in his next-door neighbour's garden splashing about in a paddling pool.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to eight charges of voyeurism for his own sexual gratification and four counts of possessing eight indecent internet photograph's of children.

Hoffman was arrested after a 16 year-old female student at Wallington's Gaytime Nursery (pictured) discovered a secret camera hidden in the ladies toilets on May 23.

"She discovered it because when she opened the door the recording devise fell to the floor," said prosecutor Miss Shahnaz Ahmed. "The investigating police officer described it as sophisticated in nature and difficult to install.

"She contacted staff and the next day all staff members, including the defendant, were questioned and he admitted placing the device, not to record children, but adults and did this because he was lonely and did not have a girlfriend."

The voyeurism counts relate to video recordings - one filmed under a desk -  taken between 2000 and 2005 of children aged between five and eleven years-old at an after-school club at Stanley Park Infants School.

Other recordings include twenty-five minutes of children, aged 4 - 11 years-old playing in his neighbour's garden - the youngest, a boy, was naked and the two girls were simply wearing their pants - plus footage of youngsters and staff in the toilet at Gaytime Nursery.

Police were called and a laptop containing numerous files was seized at the £600,000 detached home Hoffman shares with his mother.

"One of the files related to the sixteen year-old girl who discovered the device," explained Miss Ahmed. "It contained four video clips of her using the toilet and she could be identified from the images.

"There were further video clips in which other women are shown using the toilet."

Police also found the Stanley Park footage Hoffman had filmed several years earlier while in charge of children as young as two years-old.

"The camera is positioned very low down so all the activity at floor level can be filmed.

"One clip centres on one girl with an Alice-band sitting cross-legged on the floor and at one point when she gets up you can see her underwear.

"There is further footage of a female child's legs and of her blouse button undone and there are images of another girl's underwear," added the prosecutor.

Hoffman filmed another girl's underwear for a full minute and up the skirt of another for four minutes.

When confronted by his boss at Gaytime the defendant sobbed: "I've never had a relationship. I'm lonely."

His lawyer Ronnie Malik submitted his client suffered from Asperger's Syndrome, explaining: "He has low self-esteem, low confidence. His social skills are very poor, he's a loner and had been bullied."

Judge Daniel Flahive told Hoffman: "You were in a trusted position and you had been working for a number of years as a classroom assistant with very young children.

"You used sophisticated equipment by way of a camera and a recording device to take pictures of children and your adult colleagues."

Hoffman will have to sign the Sex Offenders Register for a period of ten years.

Gangbusting Cops Catch Armed Drug Dealer

A drug dealer, caught with £300,000 worth of cocaine by police, who also found the hiding place for his illegal stockpile of firearms, has been jailed for twelve years.

Syed Hussain, 31, (pictured) of Beaufort Close, Chingford, East London was arrested when officers from the Met's Trident Gang Crime Command raided his home.

Detective Constable James Barber said: “Hussain has without question accumulated an astonishing quantity of weaponry and drugs, determining himself to be a dangerous individual.

“There is no doubt that Hussain had every intention to cause serious harm with these items in his possession.

“Our officers deserve huge credit for this intervention which followed a skilled and detailed investigation.”

Following an intelligence-led operation officers executed a search warrant on March 15 at Hussain's home address.

Inside the address officers found Hussain along with 58g of cocaine, self-seal bags containing cannabis and approx £1,600 cash.

A key was seized, which allowed access to an address in Forest Gate, which Hussain claimed to have visited days before as a 'handyman'.

After Hussain's arrest, officers used this key to enter a utility room on Kebble Terrace at which a hand gun, a silencer, a sawn-off shot gun, and ammunition were seized.

In addition 137 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of heroin and a further £1,680 cash were recovered.