UCC Warns Prosecutors on Evidence Gathering  in Cyber Crimes

Uganda Communications Commission has warned the prosecutors in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to always obtain evidence to use through courts of law legally.

According to Dr. Abdul Salaam Waiswa the Head Legal Affairs and Compliance at UCC, everyone can be a victim of cybercrime whether one is a prosecutor or not but it is illegal to intercept one’s conversations without permission even if it’s for purposes of using it as evidence in courts of law.

Waiswa made the remarks on Tuesday while officiating at the three days Annual Prosecutors Symposium 2024 in Kampala.

He said if the investigations are done, and it’s confirmed that you recorded it, you can be prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act and the sentence is 10 years in prison.

The head of Cyber Crimes Unit in the Office of the DPP  Richard Birivumbuka appealed to prosecutors to be cautious while transacting any businesses online saying that cybercrimes have been recurrent.

The head of Cyber Crimes Unit in the Office of the DPP Richard Birivumbuka.

He said that whereas Police reported that there was some kind of reduction in cybercrime in 2023, as compared to 2022, some cybercrime cases go without being reported for several reasons mostly for banks and financial institutions.