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A Pakistani on the Interpol wanted list for alleged human trafficking and money laundering, has appeared at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court for being in possession of nine luxurious vehicles suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Wahdat Hussain is also charged for giving false information to a public officer contrary to Section 125(a) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
Appearing before Magistrate Trevor Kasanda, on Wednesday, Hussain denied all the charges.
Among the vehicles are five Toyota Fortuners, Toyota Hilux Legend, Mercedes Benz, Range Rover and a Toyota Cross.
In count two, it is alleged that between January 1 and 30, 2018 at Lusaka, Hussain did give false information to public officers, namely Immigration officers pertaining to his true names and identity and officers from PACRA, knowing and believing the information to be false, causing the said officers to act on false information in the issuance of temporal employment permit and certificate of incorporation of company limited by shares respectively.
Trial in the matter commences on Thursday.
At the hearing of his bail application on February, according to the Interpol report submitted by ACC Assistant Director Legal, Gloria Muyunda, the accused had a South African passport under the names of Wajid Ahmed which he first used to enter Zambia in 2018.
The State was also in possession of his application for the temporary employment permit under the name of Ahmed that was applied for on February 20, 2018.
They further had his copy of a passport that he used to enter Zambia in 2019 under the names Hussain Wahdat which expired on November 27, 2023.
“However, under the same names of Wadat Hussain, the passport was renewed on June 15, 2023. This is a Pakistan passport. Using this passport, in 2019 on September 18 he applied for an investor’s permit in Zambia and further in 2022, he applied for a resident permit for investor’s permit holders under the name of Wahdat Hussain,” she stated.
The Court heard that the accused even managed to acquire pink National registration card and applied for a Zambian driver’s licence in 2020.
According to the Interpol report, the accused identified himself by the name of Hussain Wahdat, Ahmed Wajid and nickname, Ali.
Muyunda stated that Wahdat was wanted in South Africa on charges of smuggling humans seeking asylum, corruption and fraud.
“It has been difficult to apprehend him as we have demonstrated in documents that the accused goes by two different names including a nick name he is popularly known for. He holds eight different passports according to the Interpol report and that’s the challenge in apprehending him,” she submitted.
The accused was later denied bail.
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