4 Immigration officers arrested, released on court bail

The Blantyre Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday released on bail four officers at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services who were arrested by police on Monday.

The four Prescott Zembani, Charles Kamfumu, Major Nyirenda and Emmanuel Thamando are answering one count of abuse of office each.

According to the documents we have seen, the four are alleged to have solicited K700 000 from a Mozambican agent Patron Moris to release seven illegal Ethiopian immigrants who were in a police cell at Blantyre Police Station.

But appearing before senior resident magistrate Akya Mwanyongo on Tuesday to be formally charged and take plea, the four officers pleaded not guilty to the count.

Lawyers representing the suspects, Louis Ulaya and Nthembako Banda, asked the court to release their clients on bail on the basis of arguing that they are Malawians and they live in Malawi with their families.

The defence lawyers argued that the suspects cannot flee the country or interfere with the State witness if granted bail.

Responding to the suspects’ bail application, State prosecutor Dyton Kaputa told the court that he had no problem to release them on bail because it is a fundamental right of accused persons.

He further told the court that the State will parade six witnesses and that case files will be taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions for direction.

After hearing from both parties, Mwanyongo released the four on court bail with conditions that each accused person pay K70 000 cash bond, to produce one reliable surety bonded at K250 000 each.

“The four must also appear to police fortnightly on Monday and they must surrender their travelling documents. I have granted them bail because at this point the suspects are presumed to be innocent,” he said.

The magistrate has since adjourned the matter to a date to be announced later.

Reports show that the immigrants who were released by the four suspects, were intercepted last weekend at Milare Police Roadblock on the Blantyre-Chikwawa Road.