By ALICE NACHILEMBE
A-30-year-old man has been arrested for impersonating an immigration officer in Chirundu.
And a Chinese Nation has been fined K40, 000 for unlawful stay and engaging in employment without a permit.
Immigration Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said Winston Katala, a resident of Chilenje in Lusaka was nabbed on 25th July, 2021 by Immigration Officers.
Mr Nshinka said that he informed the Immigration officers that he was also an Immigration Officer based in the Risk Management and Compliance Unit at Immigration Headquarters after he was asked to identify himself.
He said this was during a random immigration status check on passengers on a named Lusaka bound public service bus.
He is currently detained pending further investigations.
Mr Nshinka said the Mansa Regional Immigration Office also secure the conviction of Liu Jingyi 55 for illegal stay in Zambia and engaging in employment without a permit.
He said Mr Jingyi was apprehended on 16th July, 2021 at Chilyapa market after it was discovered that he had been in the country illegally since 3rd January, 2020, the date when his Temporary Employment Permit had expired.
He appeared before the Magistrate Court in Mansa and was convicted in both counts of illegal stay in Zambia and engaging in employment without a permit.
In the former count he was sentenced to pay a fine of K 20,000 or in default 5 months simple imprisonment while in the latter he was sentenced to pay a fine of K 20,000 or in default 4 months simple imprisonment.
He has since paid the fines and will soon be removed from the country.
Similarly the Solwezi Regional Immigration Office has secured the conviction of a Burundian national for the offence on illegal stay.
Nkurunziza Jean Marie (28) was apprehended on 9th July, 2021 at Kandundu extension in Solwezi where he was found selling in a small shop when he failed to produce any form of documentation permitting him to engage in such an occupation.
Investigation later revealed that the convict had decided to stay illegally in Zambia since 2015 when his application for refugee status was rejected.
He appeared before the Magistrate Court in Solwezi on 23rd July, 2021 and was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 4,000 or in default 5 months simple imprisonment.
Mr Nshinka said the Department is aware of a number of people who have opted to remain in the country illegally despite their applications for asylum having been rejected and is working with the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees to see to it that the situation is rectified.
