 |  | |
Nigerian Chinedu Amadi arrived at Leicester Registry Office, UK to marry a complete stranger - Hungarian national Szilvia Basco-Porkolab, who donned a traditional white wedding gown for the occasion. But unbeknown to them Home Office investigators who were tipped off by a suspicious registrar had laid in wait in a side room for the pair to arrive.
The pictures above show the moment the 'couple' were told they had been caught and were arrested. Amadi, a Nigerian student, paid £5,000 to an unknown 'fixer' to arrange the bogus wedding with an EU national to allow him to stay in the UK.
After their arrest, investigators discovered Basco-Porkolab was involved in an earlier sham marriage to another Nigerian, Ikechukwu Egbe, at Greta Green in May 2011. Basco-Porkolab, 38, living in Leicester, admitted two counts of conspiracy to breach immigration laws relating to sham marriages, and was jailed for 34 months.
Amadi, 27, of Livingstone Road, Gillingham, admitted a similar count and was jailed for 20 months. Egbe, 34, of Narborough Road, Leicester, was convicted of one offence of conspiracy, and jailed for 30 months.
A 4th person, Rubin Durgos 39, admitted conspiracy, in the intended sham marriage of Amadi. She was to be the bride, before Basco-Porkolab stepped in at the last minute. Durgos, a Hungarian, of Forest Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, was jailed for 20 months.
Sentencing at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Philip Head said: 'What you did in your own ways was to cheat all those who loyally and honestly abide by the system.'
In mitigation, the court heard Egbe and Amadi had entered the UK legitimately on student visas, which had not expired. Egbe enrolled at Leicester Business Academy, which then closed and he was concerned his visa would be revoked. He was 'desperate' to stay in the country, the court heard. All the defendants are likely to be deported after their sentences.
Source: MailOnline
0 comments:
Post a Comment