{{A Ugandan benefit fraudster who stole \u00a34million from the British taxpayer is claiming asylum because of the disgrace she faces if she was sent back to Uganda. }} <\/p>\n
Ruth Nabuguzi is insisting that relatives are angry at the shame she has brought on them through her criminal activities in UK, the Daily Mail has reported. <\/p>\n
Nabuguzi was accused of an \u2018outrageous abuse of the hospitality\u2019 shown to her by Britain when she \u2013 along with a gang of other fraudsters \u2013 was convicted of stealing more than \u00a34.1million from taxpayers.<\/p>\n
The 20-year scam saw her gang create fake identities for up to 100 children to milk the benefits system.<\/p>\n
She was yesterday ordered by a judge to pay back \u00a31.5million of the money she stole or face having her six-year jail sentence doubled.<\/p>\n
Nabuguzi had also claimed to have HIV and Aids to receive costly drugs which she then sent back to Uganda to be sold to genuine victims at a huge profit.<\/p>\n
It was estimated that supplying the medicines to her, as well as four other made-up patients, cost the taxpayer more than \u00a32million.<\/p>\n
Now, in a further twist to her case, the Daily Mail has learned that Nabuguzi plans to make an asylum application in a bid to halt deportation. When she was jailed in November 2012 she was told that she would be kicked out of the country.<\/p>\n
Immigration sources have said that Nabuguzi claims her life could be \u2018in danger\u2019 if she returned to Uganda because of the \u2018ill will\u2019 felt towards her for the shame she has brought upon her family.<\/p>\n
\u2018She has repeatedly said people who know her might wish to harm her when she returns to Kampala,\u2019 said an immigration source. When the Nabuguzi case was first heard two years ago it emerged some \u00a3154,000 went on education for members of the \u2018family\u2019.<\/p>\n
Fraud relating to accommodation costs and sub-letting of flats by Nabuguzi cost \u00a3650,000, and the family\u2019s benefits, including child allowances, disability benefits, and council tax totalled \u00a3900,000.<\/p>\n
She re-appeared at Croydon Crown Court in South London last month for a hearing in which the defence and prosecution submitted arguments to Judge Nicholas Ainley \u2013 who presided over the 2012 trial \u2013 on how much she should repay. At yesterday\u2019s confiscation hearing the judge announced his decision.<\/p>\n
She appeared in court alongside Ronald Kavuma, 37, who was told to repay \u00a3157,000.<\/p>\n
Last night Conservative MP Julian Brazier praised the actions of the judge and said: \u2018I welcome the fact the judge has taken such a tough line.<\/p>\n
\u2018However, I hope the tribunal that deals with this woman\u2019s attempt to stay in this country do not allow her to do so. If they do allow her to remain the system is not fit for purpose.\u2019<\/p>\n
The lengthy 2012 trial heard that in a campaign of deceit lasting more than two decades Nabuguzi\u2019s \u2018family business\u2019 saw them \u2018conspire together to create, use and exploit\u2019 false identities to carry out the staggering fraud. Eight of the group were sentenced to a total of 19 years by Judge Ainley.<\/p>\n
At the time he told Nabuguzi: \u2018This was a fraud on a huge scale and it is an outrageous abuse of the hospitality you were offered by this country.<\/p>\n
\u2018The identities you used and no doubt sold were then used by other people. You had no scruples in bringing children to this country and then involving them in your criminal pursuits. This was motivated entirely by greed.\u2019<\/p>\n
During the February hearing the judge heard how she had spent much of the stolen money on a complex consisting of luxury apartments, shops, restaurants and a hotel in her home city of Kampala, the Ugandan capital.<\/p>\n
Plans for properties were found when police raided the gang\u2019s homes across East London.<\/p>\n
Yesterday the same judge told an emotionless Nabuguzi she had been behind a \u2018large scale thriving business over a period of many years\u2019.<\/p>\n
The judge told her that she had also rented out at least 15 properties to illegal immigrants and added: \u2018Her evidence was that she was helping fellow Ugandans. That is nonsense. She was running a large scale business and she was running it for her own gain.<\/p>\n
\u2018Money was sent out to Uganda and was deployed in building complexes including flats, shops and hotels. She is the beneficial owner of a number of properties in Uganda. She will now have to dispose of them to pay monies back to this country.\u2019<\/p>\n
The judge told Nabuguzi to repay \u00a31,512,34.43 in six months or face a further six years in prison.<\/p>\n
It emerged during the February hearing that another member of her gang was said to have boasted in prison that police had found only \u2018the tip of the iceberg\u2019 of what was stolen by the gang.<\/p>\n
NV<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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