Mugabe's former pilot jailed over UK identity fraud

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Posted to the web: 17/03/2009 23:38:21
A MAN who claims to be President Robert Mugabe’s former pilot has been jailed for six months in England after falsely claiming a dead British woman was his mother.

Matthew Mufiri, 35, claims his fear of the Zimbabwean leader forced him to pay £3,000 for the birth certificate of Kathleen Durkin, who died in an accident, a court heard.

Reading Crown Court was told Durkin had been falsely cited as the mother of more than 70 applicants for British passports, to the distress of her family.

No further details were given about Durkin, who died in High Wycombe.

Mufiri, who pleaded guilty, was jailed for six months on Monday. He will not be deported because of the political turmoil in the country, the court heard, a move attacked by the judge.

Mufiri, from Newbury, Berkshire, claims he spent 10 years ferrying Mugabe around before fleeing with “quite a few stories to tell” said Nick Ashby, defending.

The married father of one arrived in the UK on a visitors visa in 2004 but was rejected for a job in the RAF.

He bought the fake certificate when a student visa for a London management college expired in 2007.

Ashy said: “Given the exposure at such a high level to the government, there are concerns about his safety and protection at the present time.”

A Zimbabwean aviation expert told New Zimbabwe.com on Tuesday that Mufiri's story "doesn't add up".

The expert said: "Mugabe doesn't have a plane, we all know that. When he travels abroad, he uses Air Zimbabwe planes, usually preferring to divert commercial flights than charter the plane.

"If Mufiri's story is to be believed, he started flying the President at the age of 25 and I can tell you Air Zimbabwe does not have long haul flight pilots that young, and the airline does not have dedicated pilots for the President.

"Mufiri may have had flying experience with the Air Force... but again you have to wonder if he would be selected to fly the President at his age, or indeed if the Air Force has dedicated pilots for the President, which I don't believe. The story doesn't add up."

Sandra Beck, prosecuting, said: “At interview he was asked why he failed to mention or make reference to a British-born mother when he came to the UK and why he left it until his student visa ran out.

“He could not answer and checks carried out by the British Embassy in Harare proved the birth certificate was fake.”

Mufiri’s home in Gould Close, Newbury, was raided by police and immigration officials on January 10.

Judge Anthony King said: “It was perfectly clear that this was a banned activity following up on your knowledge that if you did not use false documents you would not be able to remain.”

Yet the only way for Mufiri to be deported would be if he volunteered to go, the court was told.

Judge King added: "Whether he will be deported or not will be a matter for the Home Office.

"For my part I see no reason why he should not be."

Mufiri admitted one charge of fraudulently claiming the right to stay in the UK and one count of possessing articles for use in the fraud.
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