ervenescence
27th June 2006, 16:42
COURT TOLD
British envoy 'fast-tracked' Filipina lover's visa
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 07:03pm (Mla time) 06/27/2006
LONDON -- A married British diplomat pretended his Filipino girlfriend was a VIP so he could "fast-track" her visa and set up a secret home with her in England, a court in London heard Monday.
No sooner had Shared Ladva completed his posting in Manila and returned to Britain than he regularly lived with his mistress during the week before returning to his wife and family for the weekends.
Ladva's lover was allegedly one of dozens the 45-year-old helped get into Britain despite the "blatantly" false documents used in their applications, the court was told.
Southwark Crown Court in south London was told that the embassy official's dishonesty finally came to light when two of his colleagues blew the whistle on him.
They had earlier raised concerns with him about irregularities they had spotted in the paperwork, but stayed quiet after he overruled them.
Once he had left the Philippines, however, they mentioned their fears again, this time to other senior staff.
Ladva, from Warminster in Wiltshire, in the west of England, denies two counts of misconduct in a public office between January 1 and November 30, 2002. The trial continues.
British envoy 'fast-tracked' Filipina lover's visa
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 07:03pm (Mla time) 06/27/2006
LONDON -- A married British diplomat pretended his Filipino girlfriend was a VIP so he could "fast-track" her visa and set up a secret home with her in England, a court in London heard Monday.
No sooner had Shared Ladva completed his posting in Manila and returned to Britain than he regularly lived with his mistress during the week before returning to his wife and family for the weekends.
Ladva's lover was allegedly one of dozens the 45-year-old helped get into Britain despite the "blatantly" false documents used in their applications, the court was told.
Southwark Crown Court in south London was told that the embassy official's dishonesty finally came to light when two of his colleagues blew the whistle on him.
They had earlier raised concerns with him about irregularities they had spotted in the paperwork, but stayed quiet after he overruled them.
Once he had left the Philippines, however, they mentioned their fears again, this time to other senior staff.
Ladva, from Warminster in Wiltshire, in the west of England, denies two counts of misconduct in a public office between January 1 and November 30, 2002. The trial continues.