A man from London found guilty of taking driving tests on behalf of other people has been jailed for three years.
Solomon Tweneboah, of David Lee Point, Stratford, would charge around £600 for a theory exam and £1,000 for a practical test.
Inner London Crown Court was also told how staff at test centres became suspicious when Tweneboah attempted to take three theory exams within nine months. Using different provisional licences each time, he left on each occasion between December 2011 and August 2012 without actually sitting the test.
Additionally, his vehicle was used in five separate practical tests between May and July 2011, one of which he was turned away for by an examiner. The same examiner eventually informed the Driving Standard's Agency (DSA) fraud team, after it became obvious that Mr Tweneboah was far too confident behind the wheel to be a genuine learner driver.
The 34-year-old was arrested following a joint operation between the DSA and the Metropolitan police, with all of the driving licences obtained fraudulently being revoked.
Mr Tweneboah was convicted of eight counts of fraud by false representation and four counts of possessing an identity document with improper intent.
Andy Rice, the DSA's head of fraud and integrity, said: "The driving test is there to ensure that all drivers have the skills and knowledge to use the roads safely and responsibly. Anyone who tries to circumvent this process is putting innocent road users at risk," reported the Newham Recorder.
"This sentence sends a clear message that driving test fraud is a serious offence and will be dealt with accordingly.
"We have stringent measures in place to detect fraudulent activity and work closely with the police to bring all offenders to justice. Thankfully this type of crime is extremely rare."
It’s not surprising that people are prepared to pay hefty sums to secure a pass on their tests – especially considering the recent story of a learner who took a whopping 110 theory exams.
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