Busted: Immigration dept busts passport ring

The Immigration Department, smarting from recent controversies over its permits administration, is now embroiled in a passport scandal involving Burundians.

Weekend Nation investigation has uncovered how Burundians obtain and use Malawian passports—with the help of Malawi’s immigration officers—to fly to Ireland and other Western capitals where they seek asylum.

Exposed cases show that the Burundians travel as Malawians going for studies in the West but tear up the papers once they reach Europe and disappear into the crowd. Some have not been so lucky though.

One Burundian, who was travelling under the name Alex Kelvin Chipeta, beat the Chileka International Airport check system on June 9 2013, but was apprehended at Frankfurt Airport in Germany in transit to Dublin, Ireland.

Two immigration sources at the airport allege that the Burundian was helped by a local immigration officer, Fransisco Scova, who has since been transferred to Salima. In an interview, Scova admitted taking the so-called Chipeta through the check-in counter but denied wrong doing.

The Burundian had a Malawian passport numbered MA 323838, according to passport details we have seen.

At Frankfurt Airport, he tore the passport and the school documents.

But German authorities apprehended him within the airport and, after interrogation, he confessed to being a Burundian seeking asylum, the Immigration sources said.

German officials at the airport detained him and queried Malawi’s Immigration Department and Lilongwe Handling Company on how Chipeta passed through Chileka Airport without having his face photographed, passport scanned and his finger printed among other standard procedures.

When things of this nature happen, international rules demand that whoever is in the wrong should pay a heavy fine, a source at Lilongwe Handling Company said.

But Lilongwe Handling Company general manager Francis Mkoloma said should Germany demand a fine, it is the Immigration Department that will have to pay because Chipeta was found with a Malawian passport yet he is a Burundian.

How Chipeta beat the system

According to Chileka Airport immigration officers and airport authorities, Chipeta came through the VIP section escorted by Scova. At the check-in counter Scova allegedly answered questions on behalf of the Burundian.

The ticket, bought through a travel agency in Lilongwe, showed the passenger was travelling to Dublin in Ireland, via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Frankfurt in Germany. The check-in agents, trusting the immigration officer, easily let the passenger proceed for boarding.

At Frankfurt airport, the passenger destroyed the passport and all the documents he had.

Immigration sources allege that following the development, Scova was transferred to Salima. But chief immigration officer Hudson Mankhwala said this week the transfer had nothing to do with the Chipeta saga.

Mankhwala, however, confirmed that it is Scova who cleared Chipeta.

In an interview on Tuesday last week, Scova—a TNM Super League referee—admitted taking Chipeta to the check-in counter and clearing him, saying he had temporary travel document from Tanzania.

Said Scova: “I am a sportsperson and he greeted me at the airport and I took him to the counter for clearing. How he got a Malawian passport, I don’t know. “It is true that he tore the passport and the documents in transit. The whole department is aware of the issue. The handling company should not blame me or us for fearing fines. Why did I bring him to their counter? Talk to our PRO on this issue.”

The sources said after the June 9 episode, two other Burundians have been intercepted while travelling to Ireland using Malawian passports and carrying school materials.

One Burundian was travelling under the name Ellen Mercy Kasambara with passport number MA 321997, issued on October 18 2011 which will expire on October 17 2021. Date of birth in the passport is May 25 1985 and place of birth is Mzimba.

The other Burundian was travelling as Paul Benard Maloya, using passport number MA 291831 issued in Blantyre on August 12 2012 and will expire on August 11 2022. His date  and place of birth is indicated as February 9 1987 in Lilongwe.

Explained one of our airport immigration sources: “The two checked in and passed through the police checks and immigration, but when boarding time came, a handling agent noticed some unusual behaviour between them.

“They were stopped at the boarding gate for questioning and during the interview the handling agent noticed that the two were not Malawians but Burundians and [that] they had same school documents as Chipeta.

“Further investigations showed that their tickets were also issued by the same travel agency. The handling agent reported the matter and took custody of the passports to the immigration officer in-charge.”

Another source at the airport alleged that there is a syndicate involving some immigration officers who issue Malawian passports to foreigners, Chileka Airport VIP lounge officials and airport immigration officers who ensure that such foreigners pass through the check counter without difficulty.

Lilongwe Handling Company general manager Francis Mkoloma confirmed being queried together with the Immigration Department but stressed that the latter is to blame and that if at all there is demand for a fine, Immigration will have to pay.

Said Mkoloma on Tuesday: “Why should Lilongwe Handling Company pay? He was holding a Malawian passport when he came for check in. We assumed he was a Malawian. It is the Immigration Department that has to explain what happened for him [a Burundian] to have a Malawian passport.

“I am aware there is that query back to us to explain what happened. We explained from our side. The issue should be how come he was found with Malawian passport.”

On his part, Mankhwala, while saying some immigration officers maybe corrupt, described the Chipeta case as a first of its kind, suggesting that he should be brought back for interrogation.

Mankhwala also confirmed that Scova cleared Chipeta and that the issue is being probed.

“If our investigations point fingers at him, something will be done. We can’t cover up officers,” he said.

The chief immigration officer also said he could not rule out the existence of the alleged syndicate.

Said Mankhwala: “We suspect something is infecting our system. We are investigating the issues. Even the passports have been seen to be fake.

“Our system shows that they used Chileka and the passports were issued in Lilongwe. We can’t get to the root in the absence of this man who flew out. I ask the airline authorities to bring this person back. We are doing everything possible to get to the bottom of the issues.”

But Mankhwala said it would be unfair to just blame his department when there are many at the airport involved in handling passengers.