A court has ordered an American national to pay Tsh500,000 or spend six months in jail for obtaining a Tanzania Identification card (ID) illegally.

This was after Yaki Lee alias Khalid Juma pleaded guilty to the offense at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam.

At the same time, the court ruled that it was unlawful for Lee to conceal his actual American identity since the time he landed in Tanzania.

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According to the court documents, the American national committed the offense on September 14. 

Lee was also charged with providing false information and unlawful access to Tanzania’s national identification card. 

He was at the same time charged with fraudulently obtaining and submitting a forged birth certificate to the Immigration Department for processing of an ID.

While making the ruling, the magistrate explained that he set the fine amount slightly higher, to discourage other people from engaging in similar offenses. 

The American national chose to pay the Tsh500,000 fine instead of the alternative six-month jail term.

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However, the court recommended that Lee should be repatriated to the US since he didn’t have valid identification documents.

During the court ruling, Lee was remorseful and promised never to engage in any criminal activities again.