The Supreme Court in Kampala has reinstated the 20-year jail sentences handed to two men by the Anti-Corruption Court for hacking into tax body URA’s system to defraud shs2.4 billion.
In 2012, Nsubuga Guster and Byamukama Robinhood were arrested by URA after an internal investigation indicated that their online platform had been hacked into to access the tax body’s Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), a computerized customs management system that covers most foreign trade procedures.
The group ensured that more than 150 cars had got number plates but none had paid taxes in the banks whereas the bank receipts that URA had based on to clear the vehicles were also forged by the group.
In 2013, they were arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court that later convicted them on counts of unauthorized use and interception of computer services and unauthorized access to the restricted data.
Consequently, they were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment each but also to a fine of $4500 each.
However, the group appealed against the conviction at the Court of Appeal and the court ordered for their retrial after it was found out that they had been tried without pleading to the amended indictment and consequently occasioned a miscarriage of justice.
However, dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal judgment, tax body URA ran to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of URA as it reinstated the 20 year jail sentences for each of the two men after reasoning with the tax body that the guidelines for plea taking had not been breached and that therefore, there was no miscarriage of justice.
