admin
Tendai Mugido Court Reporter
A Harare man who stole his father-in-law’s passport with the intention of going to the United Kingdom and was arrested at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been fined US$100.
Mkhumbula Mkandla (43) of 2136 Jairos Jiri Street, Ruwa, Harare, stole Augustine Mukomba’s passport on May 31 this year and used it to travel to Ethiopia en route to the United Kingdom, but was arrested on June 2 in Addis Ababa. Mkandla pleaded guilty to contravening the Immigration Act when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei, who fined him.
In justifying his actions, Mkandla said he stole the passport after failing to raise money for a UK visa.
The court heard that Mkandla stole the passport during a family gathering after asking Mukomba to show him what a UK visa looked like.
Mkandla took advantage of the crowd to hide the passport in his pocket.
He further told the court that his intention was to visit his daughter who lives in Leeds in the UK, after she sent him a message asking whether or not he still cared for her.
Mkandla apologised to the court and those he had prejudiced by his action.
Prosecutor Ms Francesca Mukumbiri proved that he stole the passport and went on the voyage before he was nabbed at Bole International Airport by immigration officials.
He was detained and then deported back to Zimbabwe on June 2.
Online Reporter