PRINCIPAL immigration officer Godfrey Kondo appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Thursday accused of stealing jewellery worth $15 000 and $25 000 in cash.
BY OUR SENIOR COURT REPORTER
He appeared together with a subordinate Fenia Aisam.
The two officials are alleged to have threatened one Zohaib Shabbier, the complainant’s son, with deportation after stealing the property during a search at Muhammad Shabbier’s residence in Ridgeview, Harare.
Kondo and Aisam were not asked to plead when they appeared before provincial magistrate Olivia Mariga and were remanded out of custody to November 28 on $100 bail each.
Allegations against the pair are that on October 31, they visited house number 9 Heron Drive, New Ridgeview, to investigate allegations of human trafficking by Muhammad.
Upon arrival at the residence, the immigration officials failed to locate Shabbier and were advised by his son that he had gone to Pakistan. Kondo and Aisam requested to see the passport of the complaint’s son and those of his two brothers-in-law, which they were shown.
They further requested to see the passports of the complainant’s two sons and Zohaib proceeded to unlock his bedroom locker and took out a lunch box which contained the passports, jewellery and cash.
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The lunch box contained two passports, $25 000 cash, 10 small gold bangles, two large bangles, one gold earring and one gold necklace.
It is alleged Aisam grabbed the box and handed it over to Kondo before Zohaib took out the passports.
Kondo and Aisam then bundled the whole family into their car and drove them to their offices at Linquenda House where they ordered them to get into their office, but left the lunch box in the car.
When Zohaib phoned his lawyer, the family was released, but when they enquired about the property, they were threatened with deportation.
Zohaib contacted his father in Pakistan, who then came home and reported the matter to the police, leading to the pair’s arrest, but nothing was recovered.
