The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court has this week convicted three foreign nationals, including a Zimbabwean truck driver who was found transporting 30 Ethiopian nationals to South Africa.
According to Central Region Immigration Office publicist Inspector Pasqually Zulu, among the three, one is Nigel Kaliofas a Zimbabwean truck driver who had 30 Ethiopian nationals in his truck in transit to South Africa from Lilongwe.
Kaliofas who had a Malawi national ID, was charged with aiding and abetting immigrants and he was also charged with furnishing false information as he claimed to be from Chiradzulu, contrary to section 43 subsection (a) of the national registration act.
On the 1st count he was given three months custodial sentence while on the 2nd count, he was given 12 months custodial sentence and the sentences will run concurrently. After serving the 12-month sentence he will be deported back to Zimbabwe.
The court also convicted two Indian nationals, Pramond Singh Gusain, 36, Passport number K 6010362 and Ansari Shahid, 24, for contravening immigration permit which is contrary to section 37 of the Immigration act.
These two Indian nationals were fined K25,000, 00 each which they have duly paid and they are currently waiting for deportation.
Zulu also told Malawi24 that immigration department at Dzaleka Refugee Camp has denied asylum request to two Burundi and two Congolese nationals claiming their asylum request to the immigration office were not valid and they are currently waiting for their deportation.
This week, the department has also arrested a Congolese national for attempting to fraudulently acquire a Malawi passport.
According to Immigration’s National Public Relations Officer Wellington Chiponde, the Congolese who was identified as Onil Mbana Ntalu 40, attempted to acquire a Malawi passport by presenting himself to Immigration authorities as a bonafide Malawian.
Ntalu has since been sentenced to 6 months imprisonment or in default pay MK200,000 for false declaration, 9-month imprisonment or in default pay MK250,000 for Illegal stay and 9 months imprisonment or in default pay a fine of MK300,000 for forgery of Malawi national identity card.
Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has appealed to the general public to report anyone whom they suspect to be an illegal immigrant.
