Friday, February 23, 2024 – A British Army sergeant has been convicted of bigamy after he married a second wife in Kenya in a Sharia Law ceremony.
Sgt Noa Dravikula tied the knot with a second woman, Kuki
Wason, in an Islamic marriage while he was here in Kenya on deployment.
The 42-year-old soldier had been separated from his first
wife but not officially divorced when he sparked up his new love affair, a
court martial heard.
He was caught out by Army bosses after he expressed his
'wish' to bring Ms Wason back to the UK with him.
At Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, Sgt Dravikula claimed
he had no idea his wedding in Kenya counted because the service was in Swahili
and he didn't understand it.
But, following a three-day trial, he was convicted of
bigamy.
Sgt Dravikula had been deployed to the British Army Training
Unit Kenya (BATUK) facility in Nanyuki when he 'started a relationship' with a Kenyan
lady called Kuki Wason.
In October 2021, the couple enjoyed an Islamic marriage
ceremony, called a nikah, which meant he was committing bigamy.
British law states couples can marry if they are both aged
18 or over and are free to marry, if they're single, widowed or divorced, or if
they were in a civil partnership which has been dissolved.
The marriage came to the attention of Army top brass when
Sgt Dravikula wanted to bring Ms Wason back to the UK with him.
Prosecutor Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Adams told the court
Sgt Dravikula married his first wife in June 2011 in a Methodist church in
Fiji.
The court heard that Sgt Dravikula's first wife, with whom
he shares a child, had initiated divorce proceedings after their separation in
March 2017.
However, the divorce had not yet been finalised and so they
were not officially separated.
Flt Lt Adams said: 'He then proceeded to marry a second
individual, Kuki Wason, on October 29, 2021, whilst married to his first wife.
'In doing do he committed bigamy.'
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