Canadian passport saga causes even more trouble

(Version anglaise seulement)

The passport which stranded a Toronto woman in Kenya for months is now at the centre of a standoff between the federal government and the lawyer representing Suaad Hagi Mohamud in Canada.

Raoul Boulakia is taking his demands that the government immediately turn over Mohamud's passport and case file to Federal Court while officials in Ottawa remain vague on the whereabouts of the crucial piece of ID.

The demand is the latest twist in the debacle that has become Mohamud's life as her government first branded her an impostor, then consented to test her DNA and eventually repatriated her back to Canada.

"(The government is) trying to pretend there were complications in this case," said Boulakia. "It was all nonsense."

The Department of Foreign Affairs was tight-lipped on the matter, deferring inquiries about Mohamud's passport and case file to Passport Canada.

Passport Canada spokesman Sebastien Bois said anyone who has their passport seized by authorities for prosecution will have to apply for a new one.

Although he would not speak to the specifics of Mohamud's case, Bois said when Passport Canada is advised a passport is out of its control, it is immediately cancelled.

In such cases passports are eventually returned to Passport Canada or to the nearest Canadian government office.

"Applicants do not have the option of having the passport returned to them," Bois said. "The Canadian passport remains at all times the property of the government of Canada."

The Canadian Border Services Agency is probing how Mohamud's case was handled, and spokeswoman Patrizia Giolti said details of the investigation could not be made public at present.

Meanwhile, Boulakia has asked the Federal Court to order the government to release Mohamud's case file and passport. In the process, Boulakia said a judge will have to comment on the government's conduct in Mohamud's case.

The legal proceedings are expected to take place in September.
Canadian Vice Consul Liliane Khadour, who wrote the letter to the Kenyan authorites, stated that a thourough investigation had found that she is an imposter and had sent the passport to the Kenyans for prosecuting the Somali-born Canadian lady, has since been transferred from Nairobi - "she has changed posts as part of a regular rotation", a voice on the High Commions phone said.

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