Businessman Harry Findlay asked LUSAKA magistrate Sylvia Munyinya to order the state to release his passport so he could receive medical care overseas, but she turned down his request.
The passport in question was neither in the possession of the court nor included in the evidence, according to Magistrate Munyinya, who stated she was unable to accept the plea.
She decided yesterday, “As a result, this court has no authority to order for the release of the passport which is not in its hands.”
This relates to a case where a businessman is charged with two counts of possessing two or more passports and being in possession of counterfeit immigration stamps.
Allegations include that on March 14, 2017, in Lusaka, the accused obtained a Zambian passport bearing the number ZPO21382 while falsely claiming to have lost one bearing the number ZPO13259.
According to the second count, the accused was discovered in possession of fraudulent immigration endorsements at the relevant times.
He was purportedly caught in possession of counterfeit Mwami Immigration Border Control stamp endorsements in his passport with the number ZPO32178.
He allegedly sought to demonstrate that the stamps were officially endorsed even though they weren’t.
Findlay’s defense attorneys requested throughout the trial that the judge authorize the release of their client’s passport so that he may leave the country for medical treatment.
The accused had requested a passport with the number ZP 032178 from the state so that his defense attorneys could enable him go outside of Zambia for medical treatment for a significant heart problem.
