A Botswanan national who pleaded guilty to using a fraudulent Botswana passport to travel out of the country was last week fined $80,000 and ordered from the island when he appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate's Court.

The man, Bamutaze Ali, told presiding magistrate Judith Pusey that he had been on the island for the past three years but was unable to get a work permit, and in order to help support his three months pregnant girlfriend he sought the fraudulent passport in order to travel overseas to seek employment.

The court was told that Bamutaze after obtaining the Botswana passport replaced the photograph of the original holder with his own. However, when the document was inspected at the Norman Manley International Airport earlier this month it was found to be fraudulent. The passport was seized and Bamutaze was arrested.

RM Pusey said Bamutaze's explanation for the fraudulent passport was unacceptable and lambasted him his reckless lifestyle.

"But you can't do that kind of damage," RM Pusey said. "You're unemployed, and then got somebody pregnant and then you go and get forged documents and involve yourself with that kind of thing," she added.

RM Pusey then fined Bamutaze $50,000 for the forgery and $30,000 for uttering the forged passport. She then ordered that he be removed from the island.

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