'Wedding planner' gets Prison for Fraud
PAISLEY, Scotland (UPI) -- A Gambian man who appeared so often at Scottish registry offices he was nicknamed "the wedding planner" was ordered to prison Wednesday for immigration fraud.
Lamin Manneh received a two-year prison term, The Scotsman reports. But immigration officials say they will try to have him deported as soon as possible.
Manneh was arrested after investigators probing fake marriages began wondering why so many women from Paisley, a former industrial center outside Glasgow, were becoming involved with men from Nigeria, Gambia and Ghana. He allegedly was involved in 107 phony marriages.
Jonathan Manson, representing Manneh, said he actually played a minor role, transporting the men from England, where he lived, to Scotland for their wedding ceremonies at registry offices. But he became so familiar that he got his nickname.
In at least one case, Manneh also served as a witness, giving his own name.
While Manneh received 500 pounds ($1,000) per trip, he had to pay for transportation and housing out of that money, Manson said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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