Jailed for taking tests for others

A MAN who took driving tests for others has been jailed for 21 months.

Winfried Kodjovie was behind a scam charging as much as £300 to take theory tests and £500 to take practical exams.

Police arrested him after he was caught taking a test at the driving centre in Bishop's Stortford in June 2005. Much of the money he made from the scam was sent home to his family in Ghana.

His deception allowed people who had never taken a driving lesson or test to take to the roads.

At the time of the offences Kodjovie was disqualified from driving having been convicted of a drink driving offence.

St Albans Crown Court was told that thankfully there had been no reports of anyone who had obtained a full licence through Kodjovie's deceptions being involved in a road accident, but Jane Roberts prosecuting said the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), which governs and administers the driving test system in the UK, is to revoke every licence that had been illegally obtained by Kodjovie.

In court last Wednesday Kodjovie of Brixton, South London, admitted 16 offences of obtaining or attempting to obtain driving licences for others and a single charge of money laundering.

He also asked for a further 24 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

The charges covered a six-month period from January to June of last year and involved 39 instances where he had taken tests for others.

But DSA investigators say Kodjovie was operating his scam in test centres throughout London and the Home Counties over a period of two years beginning in 2003.

How much he made remains unclear and a confiscation hearing is to take place in the new year to establish just how much he made from his crimes.

Police do know that in the period of January to June of last year nearly £6,000 went into his account. He himself booked up tests at a cost of £3,000.

Judge Stephen Warner said: "You knew the system and you used it and abused it. Your conduct undermined the integrity of the driving test system in this country."

Kodjovie was also banned for driving for three years.