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Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages - Politics - Nairaland

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Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by massach79: 6:06pm On Jul 30, 2010
According to the Daily Mail of London, Adelasoye, an immigration lawyer and pastor of the Ark of Hope church in St Leonards, East Sussex, along with his accomplices contrived to marry 360 illegal immigrants, many of them Nigerians, to complete strangers. Armed with a marriage certificate, the immigrants were then able to hoodwink the Home Office into giving them a visa to stay in Britain as a ‘spouse’, with access to education, healthcare and benefits. The sham marriages were carried out at the Victorian parish church, where Reverend Brown married up to eight couples a day between 2005 and 2009.

Brown conducted the ceremonies at The Church of St Peter and St Paul between July 2005 and July 2009. Ninety couples were registered as living in one road and 52 in another. There were several brides and grooms from the same house, and one husband-to-be went under the name of ‘Felix Spaceman’.

A bride changed into her borrowed wedding gown in the vestry before the ceremony, then stuffed it back into a plastic bag afterwards, while a groom produced a ring that was far too small for his wife’s finger.

Nevertheless Brown, 61, protested his innocence, but he was convicted with the Nigerian immigration solicitor – whose clients paid up to £15,000 for a dodgy wedding – and a Ukrainian who supplied hard-up Eastern Europeans willing to marry for £3,000 cash. Michael Adelasoye, 50, a qualified immigration lawyer, found Africans who were desperate to stay in the UK after outstaying their visas. The court heard that 90 couples were registered as living in the same street. The Ukrainian, recruited the stooge brides and grooms from Hastings’s Eastern European community. Some wed several times.

Ten of the brides and grooms received police cautions, but the majority were never traced and are presumably still living in Britain. The three defendants denied conspiracy to breach immigration laws, but they were found guilty by a jury at Lewes Crown Court after a seven week trial. Brown, who is openly gay, also became the only vicar in 800 years to be convicted of failing to read out the banns – asking the congregation if they knew of ‘any just cause or impediment’ why two people may not marry.

Judge Richard Hayward adjourned sentencing to September 6 but warned the three, who all live in St Leonards, he was considering jail. He told them: ‘You have been convicted on very clear evidence of a serious offence.’ Adelasoye and Brown were released on conditional bail, and Buchak was remanded in custody.

The vicar walked from court without a word, but Adelasoye, who is a pastor of the Ark of Hope church in St Leonards, protested: ‘I don’t think it’s a fair verdict. God looks after the righteous.’ Later, the Archdeacon of Lewes and Hastings, the Venerable Philip Jones, said he was ‘shocked and saddened’ by Brown’s betrayal.

He said: ‘We are particularly sorry for those who have been deceived and hurt by his actions. The church and the community are faced with a betrayal of trust on the part of Father Brown, who was a very trusted figure.’

He promised that churches would be more vigilant to fraud in the future, and said the Church of St Peter and St Paul was unlikely to be used for worship again after Brown’s tarnished tenure. Brown’s motivation remains unclear. Police believe the once respected priest threw away his career, his reputation and potentially his freedom to feather a nest for his retirement. But although they found £5,000 in cash at his home, this was not nearly as much as they would have expected if Brown’s sole desire was to make money, rather than to help immigrants.

The case, which police believe was part of an international multi-million pound scam, has once again exposed the lax regulations that have led to a booming racket in sham marriages over recent years.

Numerous attempts to curb the thousands of fake unions every year have been stymied by EU and human rights laws.

A total of 529 suspect marriages were reported to the Home Office in the 11 months to December last year – a rise of 54 per cent on 2008 levels.

Detective Inspector Andy Cummins, of the UK Border Agency, said: ‘This was the biggest operation of its kind we have come across, and the only one we know about where the vicar was entirely complicit.

‘As we investigated, we were all shocked as the scale of it emerged. The nearer he got to his retirement date, the more weddings he was doing.’ Immigration minister Damian Green said: ‘Britain is no longer a soft touch. We now have specialist teams of immigration and police officers working day in, day out, to tackle and prosecute people who commit this form of organised criminality.

‘We are determined to create a hostile environment which makes it harder than ever for illegal immigrants to come to the UK and put untold pressures on our public services.’


http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/

Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by seanet02: 7:35pm On Jul 30, 2010
nawao
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Acidosis(m): 1:58am On Jul 31, 2010
Nigerian, again!
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by hatch: 3:17am On Jul 31, 2010
See beautiful business model go down the drains !lol smiley
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by tpiah: 3:22am On Jul 31, 2010
handsome guy.

oh well.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Becomrich0: 3:34am On Jul 31, 2010
I relocated once to the US for so days,  One of the women likely decieve me, she had 2 kid. US women are smart. She pretended like a sister with no children. It was one africa  american friend that saved me, he got to know she had 2 children. They can make you pay child support for children that is not yours.  The first thing that made me believe this friend, was I remember this lady told me, If she married me, I was going to use condom. How can you marry someone and use condom. How do you have children??. Can you be married and be using condom, when I was not impotent. I know after 9 month, her phone would never stop ring from africa, sending her anionted oil. Even some people would send your traditional medicine.  For an african that was funny. African dont use condom when they are marriage. that why we are many.  When we think of 40 children in africa. Someone telling me of condom. So dont be desperate, wait for the right person. dont be desperate

Even over here , you still find a woman, who will marry you for real and get your papers. so why look for fake marriage.



Read this story His children are in canada and the US.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/21468/1/11-is-my-mystery-number-Oba-Olateru-Olagbegi/Page1.html

Your late father was reported to have over 100 children as at 1969?

Well, it is not completely correct.Yes, my father had many children but not up to 100 as you have said.The fact is that it is not in our culture to count the number of our children. By our culture we do not count the number of our children.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Nobody: 3:36am On Jul 31, 2010
Becomrich0:

I relocated once to the US. One of the women likely decieve me, she had 2 kid. US women are smart. She pretended like a sister with no children. It was one africa  american friend that saved me, he got to know she had 2 children. They can make you pay child support for children that is not yours.  The first thing that made me believe this friend, was I remember this lady told me, If she married me,I was going to use condom. How can you marry someone and use condom. How do you have children??. Can you be married and be using condom, when I was not impotent. I know after 9 month, her phone would never stop ring from africa, sending her anionted oil. Even some people would send your traditional medicine.  For an african that was funny. African dont use condom when they are marriage. that why we are many.  When we think of 40 children in africa. Someone telling me of condom. So dont be desperate, wait for the right person. dont be desperate

Even over here , you still find a woman, who will marry you for real and get your papers. so why look for fake marriage.
grin grin grin grin grin grin grin
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by MetalGong2(m): 3:47am On Jul 31, 2010
massach79:

According to the Daily Mail of London, Adelasoye, an immigration lawyer and pastor of the Ark of Hope church in St Leonards, East Sussex, along with his accomplices contrived to marry 360 illegal immigrants, many of them Nigerians, to complete strangers. Armed with a marriage certificate, the immigrants were then able to hoodwink the Home Office into giving them a visa to stay in Britain as a ‘spouse’, with access to education, healthcare and benefits. The sham marriages were carried out at the Victorian parish church, where Reverend Brown married up to eight couples a day between 2005 and 2009.

Brown conducted the ceremonies at The Church of St Peter and St Paul between July 2005 and July 2009. Ninety couples were registered as living in one road and 52 in another. There were several brides and grooms from the same house, and one husband-to-be went under the name of ‘Felix Spaceman’.

A bride changed into her borrowed wedding gown in the vestry before the ceremony, then stuffed it back into a plastic bag afterwards, while a groom produced a ring that was far too small for his wife’s finger.

Nevertheless Brown, 61, protested his innocence, but he was convicted with the Nigerian immigration solicitor – whose clients paid up to £15,000 for a dodgy wedding – and a Ukrainian who supplied hard-up Eastern Europeans willing to marry for £3,000 cash. Michael Adelasoye, 50, a qualified immigration lawyer, found Africans who were desperate to stay in the UK after outstaying their visas. The court heard that 90 couples were registered as living in the same street. The Ukrainian, recruited the stooge brides and grooms from Hastings’s Eastern European community. Some wed several times.

Ten of the brides and grooms received police cautions, but the majority were never traced and are presumably still living in Britain. The three defendants denied conspiracy to breach immigration laws, but they were found guilty by a jury at Lewes Crown Court after a seven week trial. Brown, who is openly gay, also became the only vicar in 800 years to be convicted of failing to read out the banns – asking the congregation if they knew of ‘any just cause or impediment’ why two people may not marry.

Judge Richard Hayward adjourned sentencing to September 6 but warned the three, who all live in St Leonards, he was considering jail. He told them: ‘You have been convicted on very clear evidence of a serious offence.’ Adelasoye and Brown were released on conditional bail, and Buchak was remanded in custody.

The vicar walked from court without a word, but Adelasoye, who is a pastor of the Ark of Hope church in St Leonards, protested: ‘I don’t think it’s a fair verdict. God looks after the righteous.’ Later, the Archdeacon of Lewes and Hastings, the Venerable Philip Jones, said he was ‘shocked and saddened’ by Brown’s betrayal.

He said: ‘We are particularly sorry for those who have been deceived and hurt by his actions. The church and the community are faced with a betrayal of trust on the part of Father Brown, who was a very trusted figure.’

He promised that churches would be more vigilant to fraud in the future, and said the Church of St Peter and St Paul was unlikely to be used for worship again after Brown’s tarnished tenure. Brown’s motivation remains unclear. Police believe the once respected priest threw away his career, his reputation and potentially his freedom to feather a nest for his retirement. But although they found £5,000 in cash at his home, this was not nearly as much as they would have expected if Brown’s sole desire was to make money, rather than to help immigrants.

The case, which police believe was part of an international multi-million pound scam, has once again exposed the lax regulations that have led to a booming racket in sham marriages over recent years.

Numerous attempts to curb the thousands of fake unions every year have been stymied by EU and human rights laws.

A total of 529 suspect marriages were reported to the Home Office in the 11 months to December last year – a rise of 54 per cent on 2008 levels.

Detective Inspector Andy Cummins, of the UK Border Agency, said: ‘This was the biggest operation of its kind we have come across, and the only one we know about where the vicar was entirely complicit.

‘As we investigated, we were all shocked as the scale of it emerged. The nearer he got to his retirement date, the more weddings he was doing.’ Immigration minister Damian Green said: ‘Britain is no longer a soft touch. We now have specialist teams of immigration and police officers working day in, day out, to tackle and prosecute people who commit this form of organised criminality.

‘We are determined to create a hostile environment which makes it harder than ever for illegal immigrants to come to the UK and put untold pressures on our public services.’


http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/

Yoruba men doing what they know best. . . . UK government should also investigate his law degree, I wont be surprised to hear that his law degree is fake.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Becomrich0: 3:52am On Jul 31, 2010
You laugh , ileke Idi,I was not that desperate. And I never got to know she had 2 children. My plan then was to drill holes in condom if I  got married to her. That was why I never worried. I had my plan set. But it was discovery that she had 2 children, no way. I plan to drill several hole in the condom. How can you marry someone, when I had no children and she expected me to start wearing condom. NEVER. They dont do that in africa.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Nobody: 3:55am On Jul 31, 2010
Becomrich0:

You laugh , ileke Idi,I was not that desperate. And I never got to know she had 2 children. My plan then was to drill holes in condom if I  got married to her. That was why I never worried. I had my plan set. But it was discovery that she had 2 children, no way. I plan to drill several hole in the condom. How can you marry someone, when I had no children and she expected me to start wearing condom. NEVER. They dont do that in africa.
ROTFLMAO!!! grin grin grin

Why cant you marry a single mother?
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by binhozie(m): 4:08am On Jul 31, 2010
Omo Yoruba. . .yorubaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by tpiah: 4:49am On Jul 31, 2010
binhozie:

I dint know wat section to post this, so mod use your discretion.
There's this girl i met at a computer school in abj here where we both take programming lessons.
I liked her and we got talking. We became close. I made out i was a courageous guy (which i think i am, and a trait she liked)and i'd planned to take it a step further. On friday i left the computer school to deliver a message and could not make it back in time before they closed so i asked her to take my laptop to her house from where i'd collect it.
I went there yesterday (sat) and on reaching there went in through the gate. There was no one in sight. I was about making my way round the house when i got the shock of my life!!
At first i thought it was a lion, then i realised it was a dog!!! shocked shocked


[size=16pt]Without wasting time (i was not thinking again) i went down on my knees and raised my hands.
The dog just came and was looking at me, head cocked to one side as if "who and wat is wrong with this foolish boy". My mouth was dry. Even if it was not, i wont have dared uttered a word.
We were in this look-me-i-look-you position for almost a minute
[/size]

(the longest in my life)
Then i heard sound of laughing behind me, and looked around to see a woman who later turned out to be the girls mother. She told me to get up and called the dog to her.
I told her my mission, and her younger brother who later came out gave me the laptop as his sister had gone to make her hair.
The mother was trying her best not to laugh some more, and i felt really ashamed.
She (the girl) has been calling me, but i havent had the nerve to pick.
Wallahi, my runs don scuttle be that. I no fit yarn this girl again because of one silly dog, abi anything spoil sad

Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Okijajuju1(m): 5:01am On Jul 31, 2010
Naija!! I dey hail o!! Una no dey fail o!! grin
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Becomrich0: 7:02am On Jul 31, 2010
Ileke-IdI , even your own wahala you never carry finish na another you dey look for. ileke idi. Your child can only inherit was is your, he can not even inherit another person , not even another. Keep your husband.

Look one of the thing that is difficult to get abroad is a husband , mostly among nigeria women. It is like looking for the impossible.  that why church over here full. That why they go back home. Even the one in nigeria need prayer. not to talk of the one abroad.  It is like passing through the eye of a needle. Go ask any nigerian woman, who every look for husband abroad.

Na eat dem they eat them for here and run.  I remember coming here, and When a pastor send me on Arodu. He still claim he is a pastor. i am telling you the truth.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by estatemark(m): 11:41am On Jul 31, 2010
na waoooooooooooooo
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by hackney(m): 12:03pm On Jul 31, 2010
And the illegal immigrants that dont make it will go back to nigeria and start yabbing
the U.K.
Yeye fowls wey no fit lay egg.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by thameamead(f): 12:08pm On Jul 31, 2010
hmmmm
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by binhozie(m): 12:29pm On Jul 31, 2010
help tilapia oooooo, she's been out of the water tooo long
She's runnin mad  sad grin

tpiah:

handsome guy.

oh well.

Oloshi,
Someone commits a crime and the only thing you notice is his facial features
Dirty-asss-soup-plate-lickin Yoruba  tongue
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by sley4life(m): 2:26pm On Jul 31, 2010
y is 9ja alwys leading in -ves
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Nobody: 2:30pm On Jul 31, 2010
Becomrich0:

Ileke-IdI , even your own wahala you never carry finish na another you dey look for. ileke idi. Your child can only inherit was is your, he can not even inherit another person , not even another. Keep your husband.

Look one of the thing that is difficult to get abroad is a husband , mostly among nigeria women. It is like looking for the impossible.  that why church over here full. That why they go back home. Even the one in nigeria need prayer. not to talk of the one abroad.  It is like passing through the eye of a needle. Go ask any nigerian woman, who every look for husband abroad.

Na eat dem they eat them for here and run.  I remember coming here, and When a pastor send me on Arodu. He still claim he is a pastor. i am telling you the truth.

LOL You dont say!

Maybe husband hunting is difficult in Canada where the population of  Nigerians is very small. But next time, go for a Nigerian woman, not an oyinbo one.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by kobikwelu(m): 2:37pm On Jul 31, 2010
*************nothing new, just the usual, moves on*************
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by tpiah: 2:38pm On Jul 31, 2010
binhozie:

help tilapia oooooo, she's been out of the water tooo long
She's runnin mad  sad grin

Oloshi,
Someone commits a crime and the only thing you notice is his facial features
Dirty-asss-soup-plate-lickin Yoruba  tongue

dont make me abuse Igbo people because of you o, you this b.astard child of a schizophrenic baboon and a streetwalking mother.

if you're ugly as sin, how is that my problem?

go and die nah!!!

servant to a dog!
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Theblessed(f): 2:45pm On Jul 31, 2010
[b]Champions of Evil Thinking!!!!

What else could Nigerians be good at, if not creative negative thinking, what else?

The blame is not really on us but our evil leaders who have plunged the country into poverty thereby causing severe suffering for people. Yes, I feel for people in Nigerian in their struggle to survive each day thereby involving themselves in all sorts of evil doings and, that's not an excuse! But, what excuses have those abroad with better opportunities e.g. free education, quality Health care, chances of employment and business set-ups than those at home yet, they are into evil doing, why Ambition + greed = Evil!

We let our ambitions and greed get the best of us if not, why 360 fake marriages paying £15,000 per short?

'Cause, we are not contented with what we have and we don't really want to be rich, we want to be extra ordinarily soaking in it so that, it can come our of our eyes, ears, noses and a r s e s, how about that? grin grin grin

That's causing us a lot of pain and, why so many are dying of unheard of diseases we never used to have in this country. Today in Nigerian, imagine the prevalence of High blood pressure, cva (i.e. stroke), ca and not to talk of HiV aids which in fact, is another story and in part, self inflicted but, with exceptions.   

That tells it all - our ambitions are killing us because, we want to be like the Jones', we worry and start thinking evil like this lawyer thief and his accomplice vicar now, serving it.  I hope they rut there but knowing the British legal system they won't suffer in fact, will be out soon on parole and, with all their loots not really touched yet, another dent on Nigerian's name. angry angry angry angry angry angry
[/b]
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by becomrich3: 3:14pm On Jul 31, 2010
Nigerian woman, not an oyinbo one.

Ileke Idi, I dont believe in marriage that way that you can marry your own people alone. I can marry a Jamaican woman, white woman, india woman, black woman,Ghana or nigeria woman. When it comes to women. I dont care about thier race or ethnics background. A good woman is a good woman, no matter thier background. I go for a woman who makes me happy. happiness matter to me.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by becomrich3: 3:30pm On Jul 31, 2010
what most people dont know over here is that africa men are more like slave to thier women, they work like dogs for his wife.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Ranoscky(m): 3:36pm On Jul 31, 2010
^
Spot on!
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by CGKing(m): 3:37pm On Jul 31, 2010
i don talk am una no wan hear.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Nobody: 3:38pm On Jul 31, 2010
becomrich3:

Ileke Idi, I dont believe in marriage that way that you can marry your own people alone. I can  marry a Jamaican woman, white woman, india woman, black woman,Ghana or nigeria woman. When it comes to women. I dont care about thier race or ethnics background. A good woman is a good woman, no matter thier background. I go for a woman who makes me happy. happiness matter to me.
True, makes sense.

But then that's how you'll keep getting duped by women who thinks they've found an African dummy, by trying to use you. Just be careful, oga.

becomrich3:

what most people dont know over here is that africa men are more like slave to thier women, they work like dogs for his wife.
ROTFLMAO!!! grin grin

What a revelation!!!
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by An0nimus: 3:40pm On Jul 31, 2010
Here we go again blaming the government. . .Nigeria is this,Nigeria is that.Na only Naija Ninjas dey do wonders 4 UK?Let justice prevail anyway,Nigerian or not.
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Shola2009(m): 3:48pm On Jul 31, 2010
but Adelasoye, who is a pastor of the Ark of Hope church in St Leonards, protested: ‘I don’t think it’s a fair verdict. God looks after the righteous.’
Which dirty righteous?? shocked grin
They should deport his A$$ . sharply!
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by MaziUche0(m): 3:54pm On Jul 31, 2010
becomrich3 has spoken the truth for once. African men do work like slaves for their women. Especially an Igbo man. And it is never good enough for our women. angry
Re: Uk Court Convicts Nigerian Pastor Over 360 Fake Marriages by Litmus: 4:25pm On Jul 31, 2010

mirror.co.uk

Rev Alex Brown, 61,
English, [/b]joined crooked Nigerian pastor Michael Adelasoye and [b]Ukranian, Vladymyr Buchak, an illegal immigrant sausage factory worker, to set up 360 fake marriages in four years.

Brown was once ordered to stop conducting services between visa-less Africans and East Europeans at St Peter and St Paul's in St Leonard's-on-Sea, East Sussex.

But he carried on with the suspicious ceremonies - even marrying one man twice in the same day - enabling the bogus brides and grooms to milk Britain's benefits system to the full after they immediately went their separate ways.



The fraud was not committed by only the  Nigerian. 


not that we need justify ourselves to the English in their country where immigration officials  stump into hospital words like Nazis to drag pregnant women out of hospital beds to go die elsewhere.

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