By Mercy Mwende
Thirteen foreigners were on Wednesday charged in a Nyeri court for being in the country illegally.
The suspects, who are beggars, were...
picked from streets on Tuesday evening.
The court heard
that the suspects, who claimed to be from Tanzania, were seized by
immigration and police officers who were on patrol.
The suspects, who include minors, did not have travel or residency documents, the court was told.
Three suspects
pleaded guilty. Two others denied the charges and told the court that
their passports and other documents were stolen when they arrived in
Kenya.
Nyeri Principal
Magistrate James Macharia ordered the prosecution to investigate the
case further and find out if there is a likelihood that the suspects are
victims of human trafficking.
"Most of illegal
immigrants are ferried into the country as 'workers', as such, there is a
possibility that this is a case of human trafficking and should be
investigated further," Mr Macharia said.
The suspects who
pleaded guilty were fined Sh100,000 or face one-year in prison. The
court ordered their deportation after they complete their jail time.
The magistrate ruled that the minors be remanded at a juvenile home before detectives complete investigation.
The case will be heard on February 28 when case against the two suspects, who denied the charges, will be mentioned.
The investigating officer is also expected to produce a report on the same day.
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