The Lusaka Magistrate Court has slapped two Chinese men with a K30,000 fine each for forging an immigration visa.

Wei Xuecheng, 27, an engineer and Wang Wei, 41, a businessman, had earlier pleaded guilty to forging an immigration visa.

It was alleged in this matter that on August 8, 2018, the accused while in Lusaka, forged online visa number 10341630-08/18 bearing the names Wang Wei, purporting that the travel document was issued by the Department of Immigration, when in fact not.

And when the matter came up for sentencing before Magistrate Mary Chibanga, Tuesday, the accused said in mitigation that they were first offenders and did not want to waste the court’s time by admitting to the charge.

Passing judgement, Magistrate Chibanga, however, fined the duo K30,000 each and in default, five months simple imprisonment.

She further ordered the cancellation of any permit issued as a result of the forged document in addition to other orders the Immigration Department would impose on them.

Magistrate Chibanga said the accused persons should have used laid down procedures to acquire the visas.

She added that immigration laws should be followed because they were meant to safeguard the country’s security.

“The immigration laws that we have as Zambia border on the security of the country and people need to abide by them to ensure that movements in and outside Zambia are checked,” Magistrate Chibanga said.

Facts in this matter are that on August 8, 2018, the immigration officials at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) received a report in which unknown people forged an online immigration visa.

An immigration officer, Geoffrey Mukwasa, apprehended Wei and Wang and confiscated the forged visa, and further interviewed the duo in connection with the alleged forged document.

“Upon examination and verification, it was discovered that the online visa in question was forged. When further interrogated, the accused did not give the immigration officer a satisfactory answer justifying their possession of a forged visa,” read the facts.