Indian illegal workers remanded at Maula prison: Court reserves bail ruling to Monday
A court in Lilongwe has remanded until Monday pending a bail ruling 67 Indian workers who were arrested on Wednesday at Salima Sugar Company.
The foreign workers were arrested by Immigration authorities on allegations that they did not have working permits.
The Lilongwe senior resident magistrates Shyreen Chirwa Yona and Florence Msekandiana have reserved their ruling for the bail application until Monday.
Only the state and defense lawyers were allowed in the court while all the suspects waited outside the courtroom as a preventive measure against covid-19.
Defense lawyer Joseph Chiumia asked for bail as well as extend time for the start of the hearing of the case to allow the defense team prepare the case.
He accused the government of double standards, arguing the same government invited the Indian workers, saying it even chartered a plane for them because commercial flights were grounded due to the Covid-19 pandemic but now the same government was deporting them.
But state lawyer Binwell Kachingwe said the fact that the suspects did not have work permits is proof enough that they were illegally working in the country.
However the state maintained that it is a normal practice to have foreigners work without work permits while the permits are being processed.
Outside the courtroom, the Indian workers looked confused and seemed not to know what was going on.
Meanwhile, the 67 have to since been remanded at Maula prison.
whoever sent consented and sent this fleet should be accountable and just send them back to india. we got enough corona here.
at maula they are using our taxes kuteloko simukuzindikila. anyway poti kuzolowera kukolola posalima
Arresting these people is not the best thing. They are human beings like us, trying to better their lives and feed and support their families but the idiot who told them to come and have them to access entry to our country is the one to face the music. Go to the source of the problem.
Deport these people. They should not waste more of our resources. Meantime prison space will soon be a scarce commodity. We should reserve it for people like peter mutharika.
This is a tip of a huge iceberg. There are too many illegal immigrants in this country. Indians, Pakistanis, Nigerians, Rwandese, Burundians etc. Please send all of them back to wherever they came from.
There are also Rwandan refugees at Dzaleka and many others are freely wslking the streets of Malawi. Theres no longer war in Rwznda. Send them bac home.
On the 67 Indian illegal immigrants in salima; I believe immigration dept knows something. They know what was going on. We may be embarrassed as as a countrt. We need to handle this one diplomatically
How many malawians are working in India regally or not? And then why do we allow this to happen here? Our people need these jobs, whatever is left give to those qualified to do it regally living here.
There is more to this issue than you all think. Indian Govt is meanwhile quiet. These people were cleared by both countries. The chartered plane was cleared by both Govts. Wina apusa apa. Chilipo!
Why did the same immigration at the airport allow them instead of turning them back on the same charter flight. They arrive, immigration stamps them entry on their passport and then they travel to Salima and after a few days , the department wakes up from its slumber after the ministers visit.This is double standards or does the department officials have to go to school to study the rules.Are Malawians not working in RSA without papers? They have been brought in for the expansion project
Just deport them. We cant hire forklift drivers from India while Malawians have no jobs. Malawi is not a farm.
No one is above the law, the same govt has to evacuate it’s citizens also in a foreign country (RSA) with only overstayed passports. Free those Indians but just make sure they don’t commit crimes there.
You are just stupid, if Malawians doesn’t have permit, they do sent back home after being caught! Not evacuated by their own Government, this life is of staying in other countries without papers is not for your country to deal with it, lead what Malawian Passport says on your travel to other countries! Have you in your life ever heard that Malawi has sent back those who doesnt have permits? Useless idiot! The process is called deportation!!!
The Judge, these r fucking Indians, they r not our fellow Africans ok? Just employ our Zimbabweans brothers than these dirty criminal pigs, already we have had enough of these criminals ( Modern Slave Dealers) Indians in this country. Let them go back to Mumbai/ Gujrat wherever they come from,. We don’t need them here period.
this reminds me of mkulu wina wake waku immigration amachita kukatenga “subscription” kwa amwenye living illegally in Malawi…mwezi ukatha..Immigration dept is one filthy place nkhani zimenezi..this is just Window dressing.