Cameroonian National Convicted for Possession of Fake Travel Documents in Sierra Leone

Cameroonian national Ndakwe Tata Sylvain was found guilty of possessing counterfeit travel documents by Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No. 1 on Monday, August 14, 2023. He was sentenced to three months of imprisonment or given the option to pay a fine of five thousand new Leone to the state.

Sylvain was found in possession of fake traveling documents at the Lungi International Airport.

The convict was standing trial before the court on a count charge of custody of a traveling document presumed to have been unlawfully acquired, contrary to Section 13 (1) of the Summary Conviction Offences Act of 1966.

Ndakwe Tata Sylvain, according to the Police charge sheet, was accused on Saturday 8 July 2023, at the Freetown International Airport, Lungi, of trying to travel out of Sierra Leone, in possession of a fake traveling document, with, one United States of America Passport with Serial Number 681471593 carrying the name and photograph of Oliver Agah Tata, presumed to have unlawfully acquired.

The criminal had prematurely pleaded guilty to the crime when the charges were read and illustrated to him.

Before punishing the convict in his allocates argued for compassion and said he will not reiterate such an act.

In his request mitigation lawyer M. S Kamara implored with the Magistrate not to pose a custodian sentence on the convict but to give him a minimum one, adding that he is a first-time offender and had learned his lesson.

The prosecutor Sergeant 9939 Lahai Farma said the offense committed by the convict is a very serious one.

Magistrate Ngegba sentenced the convict to three months imprisonment or pays a fine of five thousand new Leones to the state.