The wife of a former president of Gambia has been fitted with an electronic tag after pleading guilty to £20,000 of benefit fraud.
Lady Njaimeh Jawara appeared before JPs at Worthing Magistrates Court accused of cheating housing benefit, council tax and pension credit.
The 65-year-old, of East Grinstead, West Sussex, married Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, president of Gambia between 1970 and 1994, in 1970, when she was in her early 20s.
She is still married to the former president - who is now 91 and who helped gained full independence from British colonial rule in 1970 before being ousted from power in a coup in 1994 - and who has at least two other wives.
The court heard how Jawara claimed a string of benefits she was not entitled to after jetting off to Gambia on five occasions - each time for longer than 13 weeks - between 2008 and 2013.
JPs heard how Jawara, who lives in a housing association flat, was overpaid £8,848 in housing benefit, £1,192 in council tax and £484 in council tax support.
She was also overpaid £9,255 in pension credits, taking her total overpayment to £19,779.
The court heard how Jawara did not notify Mid Sussex District Council or the Department for Work and Pensions when she flew off to Gambia for the five 'prolonged breaks'.
She was told that during 'prolonged absences' from the country, she should have informed the authorities that she was abroad and her benefits would have been temporarily stopped until she was back in the UK.
Lady Njaimeh Jawara appeared before JPs at Worthing Magistrates Court accused of cheating housing benefit, council tax and pension credit.
The 65-year-old, of East Grinstead, West Sussex, married Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, president of Gambia between 1970 and 1994, in 1970, when she was in her early 20s.
She is still married to the former president - who is now 91 and who helped gained full independence from British colonial rule in 1970 before being ousted from power in a coup in 1994 - and who has at least two other wives.
The court heard how Jawara claimed a string of benefits she was not entitled to after jetting off to Gambia on five occasions - each time for longer than 13 weeks - between 2008 and 2013.
JPs heard how Jawara, who lives in a housing association flat, was overpaid £8,848 in housing benefit, £1,192 in council tax and £484 in council tax support.
She was also overpaid £9,255 in pension credits, taking her total overpayment to £19,779.
The court heard how Jawara did not notify Mid Sussex District Council or the Department for Work and Pensions when she flew off to Gambia for the five 'prolonged breaks'.
She was told that during 'prolonged absences' from the country, she should have informed the authorities that she was abroad and her benefits would have been temporarily stopped until she was back in the UK.
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