Uk Border Official 'gave Away Visas For Tens Of Thousands Of Pounds'

A senior border official is facing a “substantial” prison sentence after pleading guilty to issuing visas to “scores” of non-European citizens who had no right to stay in Britain. Samuel Shoyeju, 53, had tens of thousands of pounds deposited in his bank account as he committed a “vast breach of trust” by allowing immigrants to remain in the country indefinitely, Basildon Crown Court heard. The prosecution conceded that it could not prove he was motivated by money, but the father of three was remanded in custody pending sentencing, after he admitted one count of misconduct in a public office. Six further counts, including the concealment of funds and the possession of false Nigerian passports, were dropped. The case will heap further pressure on the UK Border Agency, which is embroiled in controversy after allowing hundreds of thousands of foreigners to enter the country without full passport and anti-terrorism checks. Brodie Clark, the head of the UK border force, resigned on Tuesday, accusing Theresa May, the Home Secretary, of misleading the public over the Government’s compliance in the pilot scheme. Shoyeju, from Canvey Island, Essex, was employed as a senior border official at the agency’s head office in Croydon, where he vetted African applicants for British passports, and granted “indefinite leave to remain” to non-eligible foreign nationals. He had also worked as an entry clearance officer in Nigeria, the court heard Lucy Kennedy, prosecuting, said various documents suggested that he had been paid by the beneficiaries of the counterfeit visas he unlawfully issued. Cash payments in the tens of thousands were also going through his accounts at the time of the offence, on or before April 2008, she added. Miss Kennedy said: “There is an inference to be drawn that he was motivated by money, he did not do it out of the kindness of his heart. This was not an act of charity.” But Stephen Linehan QC, defending, insisted the allegation should not be taken into account when sentencing, arguing: “It cannot be proven that he did it for money.” Judge Christopher Mitchell concluded it was “somewhere between charity and a business”. He turned down an application for bail, warning Shoyeju he faced a “substantial period in custody”. He will be sentenced following the trial of a co- defendant, Violet Savizon, 47, from Thornton Heath, south London, who is charged with three counts of misconduct in a public office, conspiracy and breaching immigration laws. A third defendant, Rashidat Aina-Obe, 36, from Dagenham, Essex, had pleaded guilty to fraud. She is believed to be the recipient of a letter falsely granting her indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and will be sentenced at a later date. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ immigration/8882858/Border-official-gave-away- visas-for-tens-of-thousands-of-pounds.