A VICAR arrested as part of a sham marriage investigation involving Accrington churches has been charged.
Ugandan Rev Canon Dr Patrick John Magumba, from Rochdale, was arrested in March by the North West Immigration Crime Team, which is probing dozens of suspected bogus marriages in East Lancashire.
He is accused of breaching immigration law by conducting a bogus ceremony at a church in Rochdale where he was the team vicar.
Rev Magumba is due to appear at Bury magistrates court early next month.
A UK Border Agency spokesman said: “Rev Patrick John Magumba, 58, has been charged at Bury police station with conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person and two counts of theft by an employee.
“He remains on bail as he has been since his arrest.”
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