Kenya has deported a Dutch national who had been working for Emirates Airlines in the East African country after a magistrates’ court found him guilty of working illegally.
Bob Bover, Emirates’ cargo manager for East Africa, was Monday ordered to be expelled from the country by Magistrate Eddah Agade, who ruled that the work permit he presented to immigration when he was arrested in January only allowed him to work for Dutch carrier KLM.
Bover was in January arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when Kenyan Immigration officials found out that his work permit only authorised him to work for KLM. However, he had been working for Emirates for over a year. He pleaded guilty to the charges and was granted reprieve because his employer had applied for a new work permit.
“The application for a work permit has been denied. I do not know its chances on appeal, however, that will not hold this case any further. I now order the immigration department to repatriate Mr Bover back to his country of origin as part of the sentence in this case,” the magistrate ruled.
According to Business Daily findings, KLM had sought to cancel Bover’s work permit since he stopped working for the airline. The Dutch carrier also went further to seek the cancellation of documents authorising his son to live and study in Kenya.
While the evidence presented before the court showed that only the son’s permit was cancelled, the State argued that both permits had been cancelled since last December. Nevertheless, Agade ruled that having a work permit valid for use as a KLM employee left Bover with no status. His deportation has been welcomed by many Kenyans, who saw it as a very important message to other foreigners working in Kenya on the need to follow set rules and that institutions in the country are effective.
Bover, who had been living and working in Kenya for 20 years argued at the court that he was a first-time offender and a regular tax payer.
Emirates Airlines is yet to comment on the Dutch national’s deportation.
