FOUR ZAMBIAN SURETIES IN HOT SOUP OVER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALLEGED INDIAN “HUMAN TRAFFICKERS”
FOUR Zambians who signed as sureties for two Indians charged with human trafficking have been given two weeks to locate the two ‘missing’ suspects or be punished.
If they fail to locate suspects, the sureties will have to pay K200, 000 each.
Failure to pay K200, 000 each will attract a jail term.
The sureties are; Harry Nkoma, 64, a pharmacy technologist, Josab Changa, 48, a human resource officer, Edward Lungu, 50, a director, and Francis Tafirenyika, 55, a laboratory technician.
They signed as sureties for Mohit Chala, Mobiar Mondal and Akshay Arora, who are facing eight counts of human trafficking and facilitating human trafficking.
Allegations are that between January 1 and July 30, 2025, Chala and Mondal, engaged in trafficking of Asmita Kumal, Sangita Budhathoki, Susmita Karki and Rina Shrastha.
It is further alleged that between the same dates, Arora, working with other persons unknown, facilitated the trafficking of Ms Kumal and three others.
When the case resumed yesterday, the prosecution was ready to proceed but only one accused person, Arora, was in court.
Defence lawyers said they had contacted their two clients last evening and advised them to be in court before 09:00 yesterday.
“This morning we made efforts to contact them by phone but they are out of reach,” a lawyer said.
The prosecution described the missing accused person’s conduct as intolerable, considering that they never informed their lawyers they would not make it to court.
“We apply that they be brought under warrant,” a prosecutor submitted.
Lusaka chief resident magistrate Davies Chibwili, who demanded an explanation from the sureties, gave the sureties 14 days to avail the accused or forfeit the K200, 000 they signed up for.
“You [sureties] promised that you would ensure the accused appear in court, so, you fooled us?” the incensed magistrate said.
“I have also issued bench warrants against the accused to be returned on October 29”.
They are definitely not in hot soup. They are probably laughing all the way to the bank. Not only will they be able to pay the surety amount but.they will be given a little something for their troubles by their sponsor.
Most likely, the fugitive crossed the border at Nakonde ( yes by road) and are.now in India.
Maybe they need to loose their assets little as they maybe and red listed by Interpol.
But who in Zambia bothers to follow up on these issues when immigration is now leading among the corrupt institutions in Zambia. Harrassing people at malls while the borders are as pourous as this?