Defendant travelled with forged passport several times
ELECTRICIAN Devindra Matadin, 32, of Lot 5 Number Two Village, West Coast Berbice, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and uttering a forged document.
After he pleaded not guilty to both, Police Inspector Stephen Telford, prosecuting, said the defendant was an incoming passenger on a Caribbean Airlines flight and presented himself to the immigration officer who detected that his passport was forged.
Particulars of one offence with which he is charged said, Matadin, between April 27, 2006 and March 3, 2010, with intent to defraud, conspired together with persons unknown to forge the travel document in favour of himself, purporting to show it was issued by the Central Immigration Office.
He is also alleged to have, on June 11, at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, uttered the forgery to an immigration officer, purporting to show that it was issued by the Central Immigration Office, knowing it to be false.
Attorney-at-law Mr. Mohamed Zafar, for Matadin, said the latter went to renew his passport and was given the bogus booklet.
The lawyer claimed the defendant travelled with it several times, not knowing it was a fake.
Madadin was put on $200,000 bail and the case has been transferred to another Court for July 27.