Egyptian national in court over alleged forged passport

In the latest setback, the High Court last week dismissed Mr Masokovere’s application to rescind an earlier order that barred him from accessing the organisation’s Mutare offices

AN Egyptian national accused of using forged travel documents and changing his identity to remain in Zimbabwe illegally has appeared in court facing forgery and unlawful entry charges.

Yonis Mohamed Abdelgawad Lasheen appeared before Bulawayo Provincial Resident Magistrate Mr Themba Chimiso on Tuesday facing two counts of forgery and unlawful entry.
He was not asked to plead and only responded to the allegations levelled against him. He was remanded in custody to June 19.

Prosecuting, Ms Tumelo Hindonga told the court that between May 2, 2025 and July 5, 2025, Lasheen allegedly used a forged passport bearing falsified names at a port of entry to gain access into Zimbabwe.
The court heard that on May 22, 2026, Lasheen again allegedly produced a forged passport bearing the name Younes Mohamed Abdelgawad Lashin in an attempt to re-enter Zimbabwe.

According to the State, he misrepresented himself to immigration officials, claiming he was entering the country legally despite allegedly knowing that he was a prohibited person.
An immigration officer reportedly became suspicious and conducted a detailed examination of the passport, leading to the discovery of the alleged irregularities and the accused’s subsequent arrest.

Ms Hindonga said: “The accused person knowingly used a falsified travel document to deceive immigration officers and unlawfully stay in Zimbabwe.”