HARARE - A Bangladesh national yesterday said State officials assisted him to forge a Zimbabwean birth certificate and identity card which he used to acquire a passport and marriage certificate.
Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe fined Amir Hossain, 35, $150, after the court found him guilty of contravening section 36 of the Immigration Act which prohibits possession or use of any permit or document one is not entitled to.
He was also fined another $150 for contravening sections of the National Registration Act which prohibits use and possession of forged identity documents.
Hossain faces 15 days imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine on each of the offences and will be immediately deported after payment of fines.
Mahwe ordered that the illegally-acquired documents be forfeited to the state for destruction.
In mitigation, Hossain’s lawyer said his client was lured into committing the offence by state officials who are yet to appear in court on the charges.
“Accused person committed the offence on the advice of State officials who will soon appear in court on those charges,” he said. “They offered to facilitate the production of the documents and accused has even offered to remain in the country as a state witness.”
Prosecutor Farai Gatsi proved that on March 13, Hossain went to the office of the Registrar General at Makombe Building in Harare to apply for a passport.
He produced a Zimbabwean identity card and birth certificate which were issued on May 3 last year.
Investigations proved that the birth certificate was forged and that it did not appear in the system.
It was also proved that the identity card had already been issued to Robert Lockwood Fredericks on October 3, 1978 in Bulawayo.
Further investigations proved that Hossain had entered the country through Beitbridge border post on January 31 this year, and had not presented himself to any immigration officer.