Home Affairs Minister Grace Obama Chiumia quizzed on missing passport in Parliament

Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Grace Obama Chiumia was on Thursday quizzed in the National Assembly to explaining the whereabout of 250 passports at Immigration Department.

The whole issue was started by Member of Parliament for Mzimba West Harry Mkandawire.

Mkandawire told the house that on December 29 2016, the Department of Immigration received a consignment of passports from Technobrain, the supplier of the books, whose quantity was short with one box containing 250 blank passports.

According to the MP, Chief Immigration officer Masauko Medi signed for the consignment even though one box was missing as earlier the stores officer refused to sign for the same consignment.

He asked Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to take Chief Immigration Officer to task.

“There is something fishy here,” said Mkandawire.

Mkandawire presented to the House objective material information on the missing blank Malawian passports, saying the missing serial numbers of the books were from MW853501 to 853750.

He said it was later discovered that one of the missing passports was issued to a Nigerian who posed as a Malawians from Mangochi with passport number MW853507.

Reacting to the query, Chiumia said government was aware of the syndicate and that she will present to the House a ministerial statement on the matter.

Chiumia said government has taken necessary steps to deal with the malpractice.