By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A HAITIAN man was denied bail yesterday after being accused of using a fraudulent passport and National Insurance Board card.
The matter comes amid heightened scrutiny of passport and identification fraud in The Bahamas, an issue that the Free National Movement has pushed into the political arena as the general election approaches.
Prosecutors allege John Doe, also known as “John Markervens Louis”, 36, uttered a fraudulent Ministry of Foreign Affairs document and NIB card in his name to the passport office on April 10, 2023.
He is further accused of fraudulently obtaining a Bahamian passport and NIB card in his name on July 11, 2023.
The defendant was allegedly found in possession of the same fraudulent passport and NIB card on March 14.
He pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of a false document, possession of a fraudulent document, uttering a false document, uttering a fraudulent document and two counts of fraud by false pretences before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville.
Inspector Cordero Farrington, the prosecutor, objected to bail, citing the defendant’s immigration status.
The defendant was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his bail hearing on April 17.
Maria Daxon represented the accused.
Comments
Flyingfish 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
If they prove he is guilty, which I believe won't be hard. He should be automatically set for deportation.
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