Getting a driving license can become a nightmare for many people. If you need it to work, the situation becomes desperate. To the point of hiring a double to take the exam for you. Will it work?
This is the story of a Ghanaian who had emigrated to Belgium to aspire to a decent life. He already had driving licensebut they did not validate it in Europe, so I had to get it again. After suspending 12 timeshis desperate situation made him do something crazy: He looked for a double who looked like him to replace him in the exam. The deception did not go as expected.
According to the local media Free, Serge, a Ghanaian living in Grammont, was looking for work in Belgium. But all the jobs required driving, or he had to travel far away. Your Ghanaian driver’s license is a dead letter in Europe, so He signed up for a driving school to get his license in Belgium.
It can’t be said that he didn’t try: He took the theoretical exam 12 times… and failed all of them. The lack of command of French made everything difficult.
Despair leads to scam
I couldn’t continue paying for classes and exams because I didn’t have a job, and at the same time I couldn’t get one without the license. And without a job, they would kick him out of the country. So he resorted to an extreme solution: hire a double who looked like him, to replace him in the exam.
This is how he met Julien, a Congolese man with a similar face, although according to witnesses, they were not identical.. He sent him to take the test in Mos, because according to what they said in that city, driving tests are easier than in Flanders.
Julien had already gotten his driving license in Europe, so he supposedly had more knowledge than Serge.
Julien took the driving theory test with Serge’s identity card. The first employee who checked it gave it the go-ahead, but an examiner who glanced at the card noticed something strange. Julien looked like the one in the photo, but his facial features were different.
The attempted deception came to light. Julien was reported to the police and Serge was immediately taken down, because they had his identity card.
Things didn’t go as expected. Both are awaiting trial, accused of forgery, impersonation and attempted fraud..
The prosecutor asks for a year in prison for Serge, and 200 hours of community work for Julien. Both had no priors.
While they await trial, at least this Ghanaian emigrant has received some good news: he has found work in a packaging company, which he can reach by train.
Suspending your driving license 12 times is frustrating, but paying a stuntman to do it for you never usually works.. Serge has found out the hard way.