Immigration chief risks imprisonmentto

Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services director general Hannings Mlotha risks being committed to prison for alleged contempt of court order.

In an affidavit in support of the application, lawyer George Kadzipatike wants the court to commit Mlotha and immigration officer Joseph Biswick to prison for disobeying a court order to take back to Dzaleka Refugee Camp six refugees being held at Chichiri and Bvumbwe prisons.

The applicants said they hold a firm view that the respondents were in contempt of the court order.

Reads the affidavit in part: “The applicants pray to this court to commit to prison for such a period as will secure their compliance with court order for the release of the applicants.”

The Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court recently ruled that six refugees be released from Chichiri and Bvumbwe prisons and sent back to Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

The six were arrested last year in the Southern Region on various allegations, but they applied for bail through Kadzipatike at the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court.

However, they are yet to be released from prison, a development that forced them to apply for committal to prison of the officials involved.

The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Blantyre has since set January 19 for hearing of the application for committal to prison of the Immigration boss. When asked on the matter Mlotha did not respond to our questions.