US embassy cable - 05WELLINGTON20

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000020 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/ANP, DS/IP/EAP, DS/ICI/CR, DS/CR/PF, DS/IP/ITA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, PGOV, PINS, TSPL, NZ 
SUBJECT: SENTENCING IN NEW ZEALAND'S LARGEST PASSPORT FRAUD 
CASE 
 
REF: 04 WELLINGTON 911 
 
1. (U) Following their conviction for conspiring to commit 
forgery in October (reftel), refugees to New Zealand Iraqi 
Fahad Jaber AJEIL and his brother-in-law, Kuwaiti Riyad 
Hamied SULTAN, were sentenced December 20 in the Auckland 
District Court.  Ajeil, who had been found guilty on 14 
forgery-related charges, received a five-year prison term, 
and Sultan, guilty of only one conspiracy charge, was 
sentenced to two years in prison.  The Crown Prosecutor had 
asked for eight years for Ajeil and three to four years for 
Sultan.  (Note: Ajeil's conviction for possession of 
implements of forgery, for example, carries a maximum jail 
term of ten years.) 
 
2. (U) While this case has been described as the largest of 
its type in New Zealand, in handing down the sentences Judge 
Nicola Mathers expressed doubt as to how and when the forged 
documents were to have been used - whether for use in acts of 
terrorism or, as the defense lawyer alleged, to provide 
temporary residence documents to stateless Bedouins in 
Kuwait.  While she noted the seriousness of the crimes, 
Mathers then stated that the offenses were not at "the top 
end of the scale."  In handing down the sentence, Mathers 
referenced the role played by Kuwaiti Dr. Abu-Shaaban, who 
the defense maintained was the ringleader of the operation, 
and who was charged with conspiracy in absentia.  She noted 
that the NZ Police's inability to speak with Dr. Abu-Shaaban 
was a matter of concern. 
Swindells