Man pleads guilty to possessing false passports in PUP fraud

Accused also admits possessing a false bank statement following Garda investigation

A 35-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to four fraud offences following a Garda investigation into people falsely claiming PUP payments. File photograph: The Irish Times
A 35-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to four fraud offences following a Garda investigation into people falsely claiming PUP payments. File photograph: The Irish Times

A 35-year-old man has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to four fraud offences following a Garda investigation into people falsely claiming Pandemic Unemployment Payments from the Department of Social Protection.

Oluwagbewikeke Lewis with an address at Brookdale, Midleton, Co Cork confirmed a signed plea of guilty to the four charges when he appeared before Judge Sean O Donnabhain at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today.

Lewis pleaded guilty to possessing a false passport in the name of Faez Ayodele Akanbi at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, knowing it to be a false instrument or document.

Lewis also pleaded guilty to a second charge of possessing a false passport in the name of Bim Tijani Akinwale at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, also knowing it to be a false document.

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And Lewis also pleaded guilty to another charge of possessing a false Permanent TSB Statement in the name of Akinwale Tijani at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, knowing it to be a false document.

And Lewis also pleaded guilty to a fourth count of possessing a false Permanent TSB statement in the name of Nosakhare Igbingle at Ballyvodock, Midleton, Co Cork on November 6th 2020, knowing it to be a false document.

All four charges to which Lewis pleaded were contrary to Section 29 (2) and (6) of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud offences Act) 2001 and followed a garda investigation into pandemic unemployment payment fraud.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain noted the guilty pleas to all four charges and he remanded Lewis on continuing bail to appear again at Cork Circuit Criminal Court again on May 19th for sentence.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times