The minister of Internal Affairs Gen Jeje Odongo has directed police to deport 14 Egyptian nationals accused of forging working visas.
The 14 suspects include; Moamen Mohammad Hamond, Taher Mahamed, Ahmed Mahmoud, Kotb Mohammed, Abdallah Ehsayed, Mahamed Waled, Moustafa Abdelhamed, Taha Mahamed Farahat, Gamal Anwar, Soleman Badway, Ahmed Mahdy, Ismail Ahamed, Moustafa Soleman Aboubakar, Karim Taher Mohammed, Abdellazizi Mahmoud Sharaf, Fetouch Abdelaziz and Mahmoud Sharaf.
The suspects were arrested by a team of detectives and operatives from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI). Upon their arrest, they were detained and their passports confiscated. Police spokesperson Fred Enanga says that the minister signed the deportation order and the file has been handed over to the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control.
“We gave the file to immigration and they will soon be deported,” Enanga said.
Preliminary police findings indicate that 9 of the 14 suspects had forged visa extension, while the other 5 had expired visas. During interrogation, it was established that the some of the forged visas were procured through contacts within Immigration while others were acquired on the black market.
The case of forged visas comes at a time when police is investigating officials of the ministry of Internal Affairs and Immigration for allegedly defrauding tourists and foreign visitors through exorbitant and illegal visa charges.
The investigations which were ordered by the minister Odongo followed increased complaints by foreigners that they were being charged more money than the official figures. According to information available, more than 200 foreigners have filed complaints to government after realizing that they paid twice to three times more than the initial cost of a visa.
For instance, while a tourist visa costs Shs 190,000, they are made to pay Shs 560,000. While Immigration acknowledges receiving complaints on illegal visa charges, they say the victims have been getting the visas through unofficial channels and the visas are forged.
URN
