The Magistrate Court sitting in Kasungu has released on bail 10 police officers from Kasungu Police Station who are being accused of aiding illegal entry of 18 immigrates in the district early this month.
The 10 police officers are accused of aiding illegal immigrants to pass through the Chisazima roadblock in the district on 2 April 2021.
Among the immigrants were 15 Somalias and three Ethiopian nationals.
The Central East Police Region Detectives uncovered a suspected syndicate upon intercepting a vehicle the illegal immigrates in they were traveling in at Chilanga.
Meanwhile, appearing before First Grade Magistrate Damiano Banda of Kasungu Magistrate court, all the 10 police officers denied the charges.
This is when they applied for bail saying they overstayed in police custody.
First Grade Magistrate Banda, therefore, granted bail them on three conditions, the first one that they pay a cash bond of K40, 000 each, produce a surety worth K100,000 non-cash and they have to be reporting to central east police region headquarters after two weeks.
According to the Region’s Prosecutions Inspector, the state will parade about six witnesses to prove the case.
The court has however adjourned the case to May 17 this year to allow the case to stand the trial to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for perusal and direction.
