SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR FORMER SUPERMACS MANAGER WHO FORGED REFERENCE

Date Published: 06-Nov-2012

A former Supermac’s manager has received a suspended sentence and a fine for falsifying a reference for his nephew on headed Supermac’s paper to help him open bank accounts.

Shamas Ashraf(34), of 26 Castan, Doughiska, Oranmore, pleaded guilty before Galway District Court to forging two documents at his home on March 20 last.

His nephew, Payman Afzal (26), with the same address, pleaded guilty to six charges involving the custody and use of false documents at Bank of Ireland, Mervue Industrial Estate, on March 20 last and again on two separate occasions on that date at AIB, Tuam Road, Galway.

Defence solicitor, Adrian MacLynn said Ashraf had been in Ireland for eight years and had been employed as a manger in Supermac’s for most of that time.

His employment had been terminated by Supermac’s due to this incident.

Judge Fahy was not convinced the men had gone to such trouble for the purpose of just opening a bank account.

Fining Ashraf €500 and imposing a suspended six-month prison sentence on him for the first forgery charge, Judge Fahy said he had supplied false documents while in a managerial position and the crime had to be treated seriously otherwise other people might do the same thing.

A concurrent three-month suspended sentence was imposed on him for the second forgery.

The judge imposed sentences totalling eight months on Afzal which she suspended and also fined him €500.