Press Association
October 14, 2005, Friday
TRAINEE PILOT JAILED FOR PASSPORT FRAUD
by Melvyn Howe, PA
A trainee pilot at the heart of a US terror alert was jailed for a
year today for obtaining a bogus passport.
Zayead Hajaig, 36, used it to pursue his “dream” to get round visa
restrictions and fly commercial planes in America.
But earlier this year, he aroused suspicion when he tried to persuade
instructors to falsify qualifications that could have put him at the
controls of passenger jets.
The FBI was alerted, but an attempt to catch him failed when he
learned they were on his trail.
He promptly used the false passport to flee to Britain, “terrified”
that if he was caught he would end up in Guantanamo Bay.
London’s Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that, once back here, he
eventually contacted Scotland Yard anti-terrorist branch officers and
was finally arrested in connection with the passport matter.
In the meantime, a US grand jury indicted him on three counts of
being “an illegal alien” in possession of a small armoury of hunting
rifles.
American authorities also placed him on an international “no fly”
list – effectively making him a “prisoner” in Britain for the rest of
his life – scrapped his light aircraft pilot’s licence and rescinded
all his qualifications.
Although no moves are currently being made to extradite him, the
possibility of such a development remained like a “sword of Damocles”
hanging over his head.
Hajaig, of Howard Road, Ilford, Essex, admitted one count of
dishonestly obtaining a UK passport by deception between January 29
and February 6, 1997.
The charge stated he “falsely represented” that the details of the
passport photograph were a true description of Barry Felton – a
former colleague at a record shop he once worked at in Essex.
A second allegation claiming he stole the man’s driving licence to
provide identification for the passport application was ordered to
lay on file and not be proceeded with.
“You did this in order to gain entry into the United States, where,
previously, you had overstayed on a tourist visa.
“You knew you would have difficulty obtaining a further visa
yourself, so you used deception to get another passport in a
different identity. Your deception worked and you stayed in the US
until earlier this year.
“But it is true to say that, while there, you did not use that
passport again except to return to this country.”
The judge said that, following his return to the States, Hajaig
resumed the pilot’s training he began in the early ’90s and gained
further qualifications.
“But your deception caught up with you,” said the judge.
“After the atrocity of September 11, someone in your position was
bound to fall under suspicion and, eventually, you did. That prompted
you to return to this country.”
He went on: “I make it clear there is no evidence whatever before the
court to suggest for a moment that you have had any terrorist
connections.
“I accept that you were genuinely training to be a pilot. I also make
it clear that I am sentencing you today only for obtaining a passport
by deception.
“You were charged with the theft of the driving licence, which you
used for identification in 1997, but the Crown has asked for that to
lie on the file and I don’t sentence you for it.
“Nevertheless, to obtain a passport by deception in circumstances
like this is a very serious matter and to commit such an offence now,
when proper immigration control is one line in the defence against
terrorism, is highly culpable and would call for a long sentence.
“In 1997, when you committed this offence, the world was a different
place. The terrorist threat did not exist in the same way and your
sentence will reflect the date when you committed the offence.
“But, even then in 1997, to obtain a passport by deception in
circumstances such as these is so serious that a custodial sentence
is inevitable.”
Bearing in mind his guilty plea, his previous good character and his
poor health, the minimum term he could impose was one of 12 months.
Hajaig, who had remained impassive throughout the hearing, gave the
tiniest of bows in the judge’s direction, muttered a barely audible
“Thank you” and was then led from the dock.
The court heard Hajaig had been born in Nigeria to Armenian parents.
Because his father had a British passport, that allowed him to have
one too and he eventually settled in Britain.
As the years passed, he developed a “dream and ambition” to fly
commercial aircraft in America.
Finally, in the early ’90s, he travelled to the States as a
holidaymaker and immediately began taking lessons.
He later returned briefly to Britain, only to realise he would almost
certainly not be able to go back to America.
At the time, he was working in a record shop in Barking, Essex, as a
security guard, and decided the only way to resume his training was
to get a new identity.
After using Mr Felton’s identity to get the passport, he flew to the
US and enrolled once more in flight school.
He chose Atlanta in Georgia – where two of the September 11 suicide
hijackers also trained – to continue his lessons.
Leo Pilkington, prosecuting, told the court that in March this year
Hajaig came to the attention of the FBI.
“That followed allegations that during his pilot training – and he is
a qualified pilot – he tried to persuade and convince the instructors
to overstate his qualifications and falsify his pilot records.
“As a result, the flight school in question was contacted by
officers. They ascertained that the defendant would be there the
following day and decided to meet him.
“Unfortunately, there was a mistake by the flight school and he was
informed about this in advance and as a result failed to appear,
flying instead to the United Kingdom.”
The barrister said inquiries into his background continued, leading,
amongst other things, to the discovery that he had three rifles.
Stephen Requena, defending, said his client had felt he had no option
but to flee America.
“He was absolutely terrified about the treatment he might receive at
the hands of the US authorities.
“Whatever the rights and wrongs of Guantanamo Bay, one can perfectly
understand that such a hard-working man would be terrified.”
He said Hajaig had not obtained the passport for any “nefarious
reason”, but simply to “resume his training and pursue his dream”.
His decision to do so had resulted in all that he had achieved and
the hopes he still had and the hopes he had had being destroyed.
In addition, the publicity his case had attracted had resulted in him
being spat at in the street, his car being damaged, and his children
being bullied and abused at school.
Furthermore, he now found himself in an “extraordinary, nightmarish
situation” as a virtual prisoner in his home country because of the
no-fly list.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress