(TPDF )officer in court over immigration law violation.

Tanzania people Defence Force(TPDF) officer, Colonel M Kashmil(82) and two British nationals, Mohamed Kashmili (72) and Saleem Kashniri(50), appeared before the kisutu resident magistrates court in Dar es salaam , charged with violating immigration laws.

They are facing nine counts of furnishing false information for the purpose of procuring work permits, making false declaration for the purpose of obtaining resident permits, employing non citizens without valid work and resident permits and aiding persons to commit offences.

The arraignment of the accused persons comes a few days after President John Maguful directed the Immigration Department to track down all non- residents and other violators of the country’s laws and take them to court to face prosecution.

He gave the directive during the recent launch of new electronic passports. The accused persons, who are represented by advocate Frank Chacha, denied all the charges when they appeared before Resident Magistrate Godfrey Mwambapa. The magistrate granted them bail on conditions of each securing two reliable sureties, who would sign a 20m/- bond.

The magistrate further directed each accused person to surrender his travel document to the court. The case was adjourned to February 19, for mention. A prosecutor from the Immigration Department, Gerald Malidai, told the court that investigations into the matter had not been completed. Prosecuting, Mr Malidai told the court that the accused persons committed the offences on October 25, 2017 at Immigration Headquarters Offices in Ilala District in the city.

It is alleged that being the Chief Executive Officer with Afri-Transport, Colonel Kashmiri furnished false information for the purposes of procuring work permits for Mohamed Kashmiri and Saleem Kashmiri, both British nationals, while knowing that it was against the law.

The court further heard that on the same day and place, the former TPDF officer assisted the two foreigners to obtain resident permits by giving false information. He also allegedly employed them while knowing that they had no valid work and resident permits authorising them to do so.

It is alleged that on the same day at immigration offices, the accused person assisted Mohamed Kashmiri and Saleem Kashmiri to commit offences under the immigration laws. The prosecution told the court furthermore, that on the same day and place, Mohamed Kashmiri and Saleem Kashmiri, being citizens of Britain, were found to have obtained work and resident permits by giving false information while knowing that it was against the law.

According to the prosecution, the two foreigners worked at Afri-Transport without having valid documents; that is, work and resident permits. During the passports launch event, President Magufuli directed immigration officers to come up with strategies that would deliver results in the control against illegal immigrants and that disciplinary measures would be taken against regional immigration officers who would fail in their duties.