Man gets 12 months jail over personation

Feb 21, 2020

Vicent Wadda, 25, a technician and a resident of Kasana-Luwero in Luwero district has been on bail since September 2018 when he took plea to the charges.

CRIME  PERSONATION

KAMPALA - The Standards Utilities and Wildlife Court at Buganda Road in Kampala, has convicted and sentenced a man to 12 months imprisonment over personation and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor.

Vicent Wadda, 25, a technician and a resident of Kasana-Luwero in Luwero district has been on bail since September 2018 when he took plea to the charges.

On denying the charges, prosecution led by Charlotte Kyohairwe had to adduce eight witnesses to pin Wadda on two counts of personation of a person named in a certificate and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor.

The convict is said to have presented himself as the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) boss and he illegally issued fake permits to non-professional electric installers.

Upon completion of the prosecution and defense case, the Grade One Magistrate, Marion Mangeni said the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, hence convicting and sentencing Wadda to 12 months' imprisonment.

"Acts of personating are on increase within the jurisdictions of this court, yet many people have lost lives and homes due to the illegal electricity installations.

This court needs to curb such incidences and save innocent lives of Ugandans who're always trapped by your illegal tricks, I therefore sentence you to 12 months in jail on both the counts," Mangeni said.

Prior to the Magistrate's ruling, Kyohairwe told court to give the convict a deterrent sentence for he was a first time offender, and willing to reform.

"We pray for a deterrent two-year custodial sentence against the convict, acts of illegal electric installations are on the rise yet they at times lead to loss of people's lives," Kyohairwe said.

She insisted that a custodial punishment would prevent would-be offenders from committing the same.

The charge

Prosecution contended that on April 18, 2018 at Bombo town in Luwero district, Wadda, with the purpose of obtaining money, gave his installation permit, number, ERA/EIP/CLD/017/1698 to Justine Nakibuka to sell to the public in the need of new connections of electricity.

The convict also conspired to commit a misdemeanor to wit selling installation permits to non-permit holders an act that contradicted section 391 of the Penal Code Act.

 

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