Final member of £4m benefit fraud gang jailed
The final member of gang that built up a number of false identities in order to make fraudulent benefit claims of £4m has been jailed.
Betty Tibakawa, 24, of Cordell House in Newton Road, Haringey, admitted at an earlier hearing to obtaining leave to enter the UK by deception.
She was jailed for 16 months at Croydon Crown Court earlier.
Eight other people were sentenced earlier this month for their part in the scam.
The court heard some of the proceeds of the fraud were used to build a complex of luxury flats and shops and a hotel in Uganda.
On 1 November, Ruth Nabuguza, 49, from Church Road, Newham, east London, was jailed for six years at Croydon Crown Court after admitting 27 offences.
Mathy Matumba, 50, from Leyton, east London, was sentenced to four years imprisonment. She pleaded guilty to 28 charges.
Lina Katongola, 29, from Reading, Berkshire, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting four offences.
'Way of life'
Dennis Kyeyune, 29, of Mitcham Road, Newham, east London, was jailed for 13 months after being found guilty on three counts.
Lamulah Sekiziyuvu, 36, of Palmerston Road, Newham, was jailed for three years. She was found guilty of one charge.
Albert Kaidi, 27, of South Esk Road, Newham, was jailed for 30 months after being convicted of two charges.
Jordan Sebutemba, 26, also of South Esk Road, was given a 51-week sentence, suspended for two years after being found guilty of one charge.
Eddie Semanda, 31, of Sheridan Road, Newham, was given a four-month sentence, suspended for 12 months. He admitted one charge.
Rob Allen, from the UK Border Agency, said: "This was a way of life for them.
"They went to great lengths to undertake this conspiracy and they built up a number of identities over a long period of time in order to deceive those that were able to give them benefits.
"They did that in a number of complicated ways and it did take a long period of time for our investigators to unravel that fraud."