By CHUSA SICHONE –
THE Ministry of Home Affairs has warned Immigration officers who are allegedly corruptly receiving money from illegal immigrants that they risk being fired once identified.
Ministry of Home Affairs head of public relations, Moses Suwali said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Ministry was aware that some Immigration Department officers were allegedly being bribed by some foreigners apprehended in the ongoing operations for the latter to be freed.
“Any Immigration officer found indulging in corrupt activities will be fired because we have information that some Immigration officers are involved in corrupt activities.
“They (Immigration officers) will be given a lot of money and then when we do an operation they end up releasing those people (illegal immigrants). So those (Immigration officers) if identified will be given summary dismissals immediately. We want them to ensure that they operate professionally,” he said.
Mr Suwali said Government through his Ministry had declared a “serious war” on illegal immigrants and thus it did not expect Immigration officers to be frustrating those efforts.
Mr Suwali said the screening process of foreign nationals was ongoing and those found wanting would be dealt with accordingly, adding that the clean up exercise to rid Zambia of illegal immigrants would continue.
A combined team of officers from the Zambia Police, Drug Enforcement Commission and Immigration Department rounded up over 136 illegal immigrants in Lusaka’s Emmasdale, Matero and Chaisa townships.
Some of those detained by the police were found with various illicit drugs, large sums of money and information technology equipment suspected to be used for pornographic materials while others were without proper documentation allowing them to be in Zambia.
The law enforcement agencies also rounded up 680 foreigners in Ndola on Wednesday morning but only 200 were detained in police custody after screening.
Meanwhile, Mr Suwali said the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed Immigration officers to closely monitor Game Stores manager Vincent Palan so that he does not leave the country as he is currently being investigated for alleged sexual harassment.
