A HUMAN trafficking victim was enticed to travel to Turkey after being cheated that she had won a scholarship to study there, a witness has testified.
The witness has also told the court that an Apex University student Paul Zambara, who is at the centre of the allegation, revealed that he was working with a Mr. Mumba from the passports office in organizing passports and a Mr. Moonga, who runs a maids centre in Kabwata Township, in organizing the victims.
This was heard in a case Zambara and Loveness Chitambala have been jointly charged with trafficking the latter’s daughter Alice Lubinda to Turkey where she worked as a maid for more than 19 hours a day.
Testifying in the case before Lusaka Magistrate Felix Kaoma yesterday, arresting officer Lillian Mukela said Chitambala revealed that she allowed her daughter to travel to Turkey following conditions Zambara gave her.
Ms. Mukela said last November a Mr. Lubinda Lubinda complained that Zambara had trafficked his 23-yerar-old daughter to Turkey where she was being physically and mentally abused.
“I apprehended Zambara and he said he knew Alice as his friend. He said he arranged everything for her to travel to Turkey because he has a friend by the name of Odette Mwakatambala there.
“He said they were looking for girls to be employed as maids in Turkey and that they just wanted slim and beautiful ones below the age of 29. He said a picture of that person should be taken and sent to Odette before she approved that person to travel,” Ms. Mukela said.
She said Zambara told her that he was paid a certain percentage whenever he sent a girl to Turkey.
She said when she interviewed Chitambala, she disclosed that Zambara told her to keep Alice’s travel to Turkey as a secret and that she allowed her daughter to leave Zambia after he told her that she had won a scholarship to study there.
Ms. Mukela said Chitambala further disclosed that at one time Zambara gave her K2, 000 which he said came from Alice in Turkey.
“She (Chitambala) thought her daughter was okay until she started receiving phone calls from her in the night that she was still working from 08:00 hours to 03: 00 hours the next morning. I made up my mind to warn and jointly charge Paul Zambara and Loveness Chitambala for human trafficking.
“Zambara remained silent on directions given by his lawyer and Loveness said all she wanted was her daughter to come back. The victim came back to Zambia with the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” she said.
