A 50-year-old US citizen has been fined US$300 after being found guilty of violating immigration law and escaping from lawful custody.
Austin Ray was facing two charges of contravening the Immigration Act and escaping lawful custody when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Ruth Moyo.
Ray is from the USA and holds US passport number A07061933.
The State’s case was that on 19 February, Ray arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Harare, on Airlink flight 42104.
Upon arrival at the immigration checkpoint, the defendant presented his US passport to the immigration officer intending to apply for a holiday visa.
After reviewing the passport, it was found that the accused had been issued a visitor’s notice to leave the country on or before February 7, 2024.
The court heard that Rai did not have written permission from the minister to enter the country as required.
As a result, Ray was denied entry and placed in temporary immigration detention cells awaiting deportation.
On the same date, Ray entered the country illegally, without a valid permit.
On another charge, Ray escaped from lawful custody at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
The court heard that immigration officials refused him entry to Zimbabwe after he failed to meet the requirements.
Ray was placed in a temporary detention facility at the airport awaiting deportation. He loosened the locking system of the detention cell and made his way into the country thus escaping lawful detention. Announce
