A 38-year-old Tanzanian national has been fined K 12,000 or in default 12-month imprisonment for concealing his national identity by obtaining a Zambian Green National Registration Card (NRC).
Before Kapiri Mposhi magistrate Jammy Mukumbi was Laurent Sadoki from Kigoma, Tanzania, charged with an offence of concealing person’s identify, citizenship or country of origin contrary to Section 52 (a) (b) and 56 (1) of the Immigrations and Deportation Act number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
Sadoki, a tailor, has regrettably been living in Kamwala South, Lusaka as a Zambian citizen under a concealed identity of Kelvin Simbala bearing NRC number 478298/47/1.
He was arrested whilst traveling aboard a passenger bus from Nakonde to Lusaka on 27th of March 2024 around 11:00 hours at Luashimba police checkpoint in Kapiri Mposhi by Immigration officers checking immigration compliance.
The immigration officers came across the now convict and when he was asked to produce his documents of identity, he produced a Green NRC number 478298/47/1 bearing the names of Kelvin Simbala.
Upon interviewing him further the officers discovered that the convict was a Tanzanian national and had in his possession a Tanzanian national Identity card bearing the name Laurent Sadoki.
In mitigation, Sadoki told the court that he had decided to conceal his identity in order for him to stay in Zambia citing economic challenges in his area of origin in Tanzania.
But in passing judgement magistrate Mukumbi stated that concealing of one’s identity to stay in another country was not only a criminal offence but a security concern.
Magistrate Mukumbi said there were other legal means that Sadoki could have used to remain in Zambia and not by deceit adding that his action to obtain an NRC could put a lot of government officials in problems if investigated further.
” Your conduct to conceal identity by acquiring a Zambian NRC shows that you intended to assume another personality, names place of birth within Zambia. You are a threat to this country,” Magistrate Mukumbi said.
