May 27, Kathmandu – Geoffrey Wall, a former pilot of Canadian airline Air Canada, has been accused of operating commercial flights for 17 years using a fraudulent license. According to Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, the accused endangered the safety of thousands of passengers. Wall faces charges including fraud amounting to over $5,000, public mischief, use of forged documents, and possession of a fake certificate. The 59-year-old was arrested on June 1.
This case came to light following Transport Canada’s investigation, which uncovered irregularities in Wall’s documents. Authorities stated that Wall began his aviation career in 1998 and, by 2009, had managed to become a pilot-in-command, or captain, using a counterfeit certificate. He subsequently operated flights carrying thousands of passengers for several years. The deception was only uncovered last year during a routine operational inspection by Transport Canada at Pearson Airport, where his documentation raised concerns.
Following this, a thorough investigation codenamed ‘Project Icarus’ was launched. Investigators are currently examining how the accused forged these documents and managed to evade oversight for such an extended period. (With agency assistance)
