PSNI Target 'Sham' NI Marriages

As the police in Londonderry were forced to apologise following an earlier arrest blunder during a supposed 'sham wedding', a separate bride and groom detained as they prepared to take their wedding vows on Wednesday in Belfast have been charged with immigration offences.

Following a probe into the organisation of sham marriages, officers from the PSNI and the UK Border Agency stopped a wedding at Belfast City Hall Register Office, between a Ghanaian woman and a Portuguese man.

The couple were taken to Musgrave Street police station in Belfast where they were charged with offences relating to attempts to evade UK immigration laws.

Victoria Boateng, an 18-year-old Ghanaian national then appeared at Laganside Magistrates Court charged with seeking to obtain leave to remain in the UK by deception and was released on bail until 18 August.

Ivan Goncalves a 24-year-old Portuguese national is now due to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday 17 August on charges of assisting unlawful immigration.

Also, Portuguese and South African nationals who acted as witnesses to the marriage were also arrested for assisting unlawful immigration but released without charge pending further enquiries.

Mistake

However, in Derry, the PSNI swooped during the other - genuine - marriage ceremony on Tuesday between Neil McIlwee and his pregnant fiancée, Yanan Sun.

They were arrested at the Guildhall in Londonderry over the suspect 'sham marriage.'

The Castlederg man later rejected an apology from the police after their wedding was interrupted.

The couple were released after police realised their mistake. They were actually married the next day in nearby Castlederg.

(BMcC)