A Pakistani national has been charged with multiple offences after allegedly using forged documents to obtain official identification in Fiji.
According to the Fiji Times, Mohammed Junaid appeared before the Lautoka Magistrates Court, where he was charged with a total of 12 offences related to the possession and use of falsified documents, as well as providing false information to public officials.
Prosecutors allege Junaid arrived in Fiji on October 27, 2024, on a visitor’s visa that expired 32 days later. It is further alleged that he subsequently obtained a Fijian birth certificate under the name Mohammed Iqbal Khan, which he then used to apply for a Fijian passport, a driver’s licence and a Tax Identification Number (TIN) card.
A former Births, Deaths and Registrations clerk, Jone Matawalu, is charged alongside Junaid in connection with the alleged scheme.
Matawalu faces four charges, including abuse of office, receiving a bribe of $3,000, issuing a false certificate as a public officer, and falsification of documents. Junaid, meanwhile, is charged with four counts of possessing false documents, four counts of using false documents, two counts of giving information derived from false documents, and two counts of providing false information to a public servant.
Both accused appeared in court yesterday afternoon, where Magistrate Semi Babitu remanded them in custody. The matter has been adjourned to December 31.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
