By NOEL IYOMBWA
A ZAMBIAN student in Cyprus has gone missing shortly after being released from a reformatory facility in Turkey.
Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Steven Kampyongo told parliament that according to reports, Mubanga went missing in July 2020 and reappeared in December.
Mr Kampyongo said Mubanga was expelled from a university in Cyprus but instead of heading back to Zambia, he found himself in Istanbul, Turkey.
He said while in Istanbul, he came into conflict with the law and in the process he was arrested and put in a reformatory facility.
Mr Kampyongo told the house that after his release he did not avail himself to the consular in Istanbul but disappeared.
The minister was responding to Kanchibiya member of Parliament (PF), Dr Martin Malama who asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs whether the government is aware that Mr Moses Brian Mubanga, a Zambian student in Cyprus has gone missing and if so, for how long has he been missing;
Dr Malama also wanted to know what measures were being taken to trace Mr Mubanga and reunite him with his family; and whether the government is aware that his disappearance has caused a lot of pain and anguish to his family.
“Madam Speaker, Government is aware. According to reports he went missing in July and reappeared in December 2020.
“The student was expelled and he was supposed to head back but he opted to go to Istanbul and got into conflict with the law there.
“He was picked by police where he was detained in a young offenders’ facility, in Istanbul city but after he was released he did not avail himself to the Mission in Turkey and he gave the police a nonexistent address and the authority went further to check if he left the country but it was established that he did not leave the country,” he said.
The minister told the House that the student was on self-sponsorship not government bursary.
He said Government will continue with its efforts to find the student and hoped that he would be traced.
Mr Kampyongo advised family members to remain calm and assured that Government would do its best to have him located.
The minister also advised Zambians abroad to register with respective missions.
