Mother upset over use of her deceased son’s identity

Mother of the late Franko Lorenzo ‘Ozo’ Roberts is disgusted and upset by the fact that Mark John Dublin represented himself as her son to obtain a birth certificate and passport – allowing him to travel to Canada under a dead man’s name.{{more}}

And Hazel Marigold Richards is asking Dublin, “Why me? Why my son?”

Dublin grabbed national headlines earlier this week, after he was able to obtain a birth certificate in Franko’s name with Hazel listed as his mother.

He travelled to Canada last December using the fraudulently obtained passport, but was deported last week, after the local immigration department discovered the fraud and reported it to the Canadian authorities.

Dublin admitted to four charges of fraud and deception at the Serious Offences Court on Tuesday, and was sentenced to three years in jail.

In court, Dublin said he knew the dead man.

However, Franko’s mother, Hazel says Dublin and her son were not friends.

In an exclusive interview, Richards, who resides overseas, said she is still mystified by the turn of events.

“I understand that he told the police that he and my son were friends. That is not so. I have never seen the guy… I am angry, I am hurting by all of this…,” Richards told SEARCHLIGHT.

The matter has made her so upset, Richards is even thinking of coming home and conducting her own investigations into the matter.

“I just want to know how Mark Dublin got my name and my son’s name… Who signed the birth certificate form to help him get this passport,” she questioned repeatedly.

Lorenzo Roberts died on March 7, 2007.

It had been alleged that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head while he and his cousin, Drexel Andrews were alone in a bedroom taking pictures of themselves holding a gun.

Richards stated that the matter has re-opened wounds that she’s still trying to heal.

“It’s already been five years since Ozo died, the man who was charged for his death was acquitted and now this? Where is my justice? I’m so hurt right now…This battle is not mine; it is the Lord’s own,” the mother lamented.

SEARCHLIGHT has been informed, that John, in statement, said he knew Roberts’ birth date because of parties they used to have. He is also reported to have said that he left SVG because of a matter which resulted in the death of another man.

Shedding some light on the situation, High Court Registrar Tamara Gibson-Marks, in a telephone interview on Wednesday, said a birth certificate is a public document, which anyone can request a copy of, with stated reasons.

Explaining how it may have been possible for Dublin to get a hold of Roberts’ birth certificate, Gibson-Marks outlined that documents such as marriage certificates and birth certificates are vital documents.

“These documents are really public documents that anybody can come and apply for. There’s nothing in the law that prevents me from coming to get a copy of your birth certificate,” Gibson-Marks explained.

The Registrar said it is something that is not restricted, especially in St Vincent, which is a multi-island state.

“People get birth certificates for many reasons. There are cases sometimes where lawyers will come for birth certificate for people who are dead for insurance purposes… I’m not a Vincentian, let’s say my father was born in SVG, all I would have done is go and get his birth certificate and take it to them and they would say yes…,” Gibson-Marks added.

She hastened to say that more checks are done at the Immigration Department before issuing a passport.

“We will not refuse you, but we would need to know why you want the birth certificate…”

However, Gibson-Marks said that if the government were to do something about it, it will only be an inconvenience to people.