Passport forgery jailed 20 months: Convict tells court Malawi booklet printed in South Africa

Mangochi Second Grade Magistrate’s Court on Friday sentenced 30 – year – old, Christopher Meleka to 20 months imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for being found in possession of a counterfeit passport.

Meleka (c) picture outside the court after being sentenced -Photo by Mana

Meleka was arrested on November 14 at the Eastern Region Immigration Headquarters in Mangochi when he attempted to replace his lost passport.

The court learnt that when Meleka produced a photocopied biodata page of his lost passport it was discovered that the passport was fake and the details on it belonged to one, James Chisale Mapondo.

The court further heard that upon interrogation, Meleka admitted that the passport he had been using was indeed fake and that it was dubiously produced in South Africa by someone at a fee of 2,500 South African Rand, an equivalent of K125 000.

Meleka was arrested forthwith and appearing before court on Friday he pleaded guilty and admitted the charge before Second Grade Magistrate, Augustine Mizaya.

State Prosecutor, Assistant Immigration Officer, Prince Pius Ng’ambi prayed for stiff penalty, saying although the offence fell under the category of misdemeanor the conduct was not a misdemeanor in nature.

Magistrate Mizaya concurred with the state, saying Meleka’s conduct was unacceptable as it could give an opportunity to foreigners to acquire and abuse the Malawian passport easily.

The court, therefore, convicted Meleka on the count of false declaration of a passport contrary to section 327 of the penal code.

In mitigation, Meleka pleaded for a lenient punishment on the basis that he was a first offender and that he was on medical treatment.

But the court found the grounds weak and slapped him with 20 months IHL without any option of fine.

“The tendency of people tampering with passports by removing the face and replacing it with another is becoming common,” observed Mizaya.

“This conduct threatens the country’s security as foreigners who do not deserve a Malawian passport easily access the travelling document and this jeopardizes the image of our country,” Mizaya charged.

Meleka hails from Makunganya Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi.

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ndele
ndele
5 years ago

nanga obama ciumya etc

Eze
Eze
5 years ago

Dziko lodziwa kukhomerera anthu ake ziko lonse Lapansi nde ndi Malawi heeeeeish kungo nyamula ka jumbo Kati zovala pa Joni kapena pa Tanzania pompa kufika PA border heeeeeish Kampamba kose Kathera pomwepo. Amalawi akuyesera ku limbikira koma hmmmm sapita pa tali Kamba ka ku khomereredwa basi.

Make Malawi Great
Make Malawi Great
5 years ago

Chinese at Lilongwe BY-Pass are working on sketchy permits obtained even by forging required documents and bribing the some immigration but don’t hesitate to lock up locals while foreign living la vi da in our own land!! Blacks cant do that in their countries we are even executed without being extradition! But which Chinese or indian is in malawi jails with all the crimes they do??? woke up Malawi! Dzuka

Mwiri
5 years ago

Nanga ya Chaponda ili pati?

ATUMWI
ATUMWI
5 years ago

Amwenye ali pheee ndi ma resident permit a chinyengo kwinaku nkhuku zikedyedwa koopsa ndi ma bigg aku immigration ndi nduna ndi ndalama za amwenye. akakhala Mphwiyo ndiye ali duuu kudya ma billion athu mwachinunu koma apa muli matako mmwamba ndi ka nkhani ka munthu osauka ngati uyu. mulungu azakulangani ndithu asatana inu

tuntufye
tuntufye
5 years ago

people are doing that because it is nearly impossible to get a passport from immigration. I wish the immigration listened

benjones
5 years ago

75% OF THE FOREIGNERS LEAVING IN MALAWI AND HOLDING MALAWI PASSPORT DON’T DESERVE IT. THANKS TO OUR CORRUPT SYSTEM.

Francis Kaisi.
5 years ago

Justice for the poor.

Guanta
Guanta
5 years ago

the punishment is too harsh Mr magistrate

mtete
mtete
5 years ago

Please Mr. NIB Dausi, do something and let the nation know what you have done. Malawi is indeed a laughing stock. Literally a y one anywhere can get a Malawi passport.

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