LONDON, July 29 (UPI) -- The innocent Brazilian man shot to death by police on suspicion of being a suicide bomber was in Britain on forged documents, the Home Office said. Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, was shot eight times by plainclothes officers at Stockwell underground station last week. He had been followed after emerging from an apartment block linked to the July 21 bomb attempts by an address found in one of the rucksacks used. Challenged by officers as he entered the station, he reportedly jumped the ticket barrier and ran onto a waiting train, where he was pinned to the floor and shot.
His family denied initial reports suggesting his visa had expired, and said he would not have run when challenged. However, the Home Office confirmed Thursday night de Menezes' student visa expired more than two years ago. In a carefully worded statement, officials suggested the residency stamp in his passport was not genuine.
"We have seen a copy of Mr. de Menezes's passport containing a stamp apparently giving him indefinite leave to remain in the U.K.," a spokesman said. "On investigation, this stamp was not one that was in use by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on the date given." |