A Somali taxi driver who skipped the country while on bail for alleged sex offending returned to Palmerston North District Court yesterday.
Sharif Sadiq Ali, 37, was remanded in custody to December 15 for a depositions hearing.
He faces several sex charges - abduction, indecent assault and unlawful sexual connection - and a new charge of breaching district court bail.
Ali covered his face with his left hand throughout his 10-minute appearance.
And the Manawatu Standard can now reveal Ali was recaptured in Canada only after applying for a Canadian taxi driver&#
39;s licence earlier this year.
It is understood, from sources, he made alterations to his application that attracted the attention of authorities.
Ali was held in custody in Canada for some months before being deported to New
Zealand. He arrived at Auckland International Airport on October 5 and was taken into custody.
The sex charges were laid against Ali - a Somali immigrant with New Zealand citizenship - after he picked up a 19-year-old woman from the Maple taxi stand, in central Palmerston North, in the early hours of August 22, last year.
He was granted bail on September 9, 2004, but skipped the country almost immediately.
Sources say he managed to get in to Canada, but was arrested for passport violations there earlier this year, after using his New Zealand passport to apply for a Canadian taxi driver's licence. para
