Desperate to stay in Botswana

Cathrine Moemedi
SUSPENDED SENTENCE: Resham Singh

Indian man presents fake document to immigration

Desperate to extend his stay in Botswana, a 38-year-old man of Indian origin allegedly wrote a letter to the Immigration department in Maun on the 3rd of June, 2019 posing as his ex-Motswana wife supporting the extension of his stay in Botswana.

Charged with a single count of uttering a false document, Resham Singh appeared before Maun Magistrate for his sentence this week.

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He was married to a Motswana woman, Kefilwe Singh, but upon the collapse of their marriage the woman wrote to the immigration notifying them about their divorce.

When the woman blatantly refused to write the supporting affidavit for immigration, Singh wrote it himself and faked her signature to trick the immigration officials into extending his stay, unfortunately for him the wife had already gone before him to announce their divorce and the officials easily busted him.

Appearing in Defense of Singh, Clifford Foroma pleaded with court to be lenient on him and suspend his sentence as he has already learnt his lesson.

“The accused is a 38-year-old divorcee who has been working in Botswana for 16 years. He has three children aged 8, 6 and 6 weeks old . He pleaded guilty, which shows that he is remorseful. he was under pressure to extend his residence permit,” said Foroma, adding that the offence is not serious enough to attract a prison sentence.

“We pray for a suspended sentence as it will be enough to teach the accused person a lesson, the suspended sentence will not be of any prejudice to the state,” pleaded Foroma successfully.

Magistrate Gaone Bagopi sentenced Singh to two-years imprisonment wholly suspended on condition that he does not commit any criminal offence, especially where fraud is an element.

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