Trial collapses after immigration ocials'lie under oath'

SIMON ISRAEL-T!RS"A#  $% O&TOER

$()*

E+&L!SI,E The !.'s /iggest sham marriage trial has collapsed 0ith the

 1udge accusing !.A ocers of deli/eratel2 concealing e3idence and l2ing

under oath4 The ome Oce has re3ealed to &hannel * Ne0s that three immigration

ocers ha3e /een suspended and the Independent 5olice &omplaints

&ommission 6I5&&7 has /een called in to carr2 out an in3estigation4

 

 The &ro0n 5rosecution Ser3ice 6&5S7 is to conduct a full re3ie0 into the

handling of the case and accepts it fell /elo0 accepta/le standards4

 The trial at the Inner London &ro0n &ourt  centred round allegations that a

3icar8 and se3eral church ocials had presided o3er a 9con3e2or /elt9 of

fa:e 0eddings4

 The Re3erend Nathan Ntege 6pictured7 0as accused of conducting *;*

sham marriages o3er four 2ears at St <ude's 0ith St Aidan &hurch in

 Thornton eath8 South London /et0een $((= and $())4

 The prosecutor Ed0ard Lucas had descri/ed to the 1ur2 that the num/er of

0eddings 0ent up from si> a 2ear to si> a da28 0ith /rides ?ueueing round

the /loc: and sometimes sharing the same 0edding dress4

I am satis@ed that ocers at the heart of this prosecution ha3e

deli/eratel2 concealed important e3idence and lied on oath 4 is

onour <udge Madge

ut8 0hen immigration ocers 0ere ?uestioned in the 0itness /o>8 it

emerged that e3idence had /een tampered 0ith or concealed8 possi/l2

destro2ed8 3ideo footage had gone missing8 and an in3estigation log had

/een doctored4

is onour <udge Nic Madge /rought the trial to halt a 2esterda28 sa2ing 9I

am satis@ed that ocers at the heart of this prosecution ha3e deli/eratel2

concealed important e3idence and lied on oath4

'Tainted'

9The /ad faith and misconduct started in $()) 0hen t0o of the principal

defendants 0ere arrested and has continued throughout the course of this

trial4

9In m2 1udgment8 it has tainted the 0hole case4 It has tainted the

 

prosecution against all se3en defendants4 It is a case in 0hich the

prosecution should not /e allo0ed to /ene@t from the serious mis/eha3iour

of the ocer in the case or the disclosure ocer49

Se3en defendants 0ere formerl2 ac?uitted of all )= charges alleging 3arious

degrees of in3ol3ement 0ith marriages of con3enience in order to /2pass

immigration la0s4

A ome Oce spo:esman told &hannel * Ne0s 9The collapse of this trial is

an e>tremel2 disappointing end to a long in3estigation4

'ull re3ie0'

9Be e>pect the highest standards from all our staC8 and clearl2 0e are

treating the 1udge's ruling that our ocers acted in /ad faith 0ith the

utmost seriousness4 Three ocers ha3e /een formall2 suspended and the

matter referred to the I5&& for in3estigation4

9It 0ould /e inappropriate to comment further at this stage49

 The &5S told us 9Be are no0 carefull2 considering the 1udge's comments in

relation to our handling of this case8 0hich has clearl2 fallen /elo0 the high

standards that 0e 0ould e>pect4

9Be 0ill no0 /e conducting a full re3ie0 into the handling of disclosure and

other issues throughout the trial49

Posted by Thavam