Somali refugee disappears without trace

Othusitse Khuwa | Thursday March 2, 2017 18:05

 

Yesterday, attorney Morgan Moseki told Justice Lot Moroka that Faisal Issa Ali was nowhere to be found during a planned court appearance. “We apply for this matter to be dismissed because the petitioner is nowhere to be found. I tried to call his phone but my efforts to talk to him were futile. He is even no longer at the Dukwi Refugee Camp,” Moseki said.

State attorney Oeme Moalosi from the Attorney General, representing the Department of Immigration and Citizenship applied for the matter to be dismissed with costs on a client-attorney scale. Justice Moroka granted the state a court order that does not have any force unless Ali appears in court.

In addition, Moroka ruled that Ali shall pay the costs of the application.

Ali was granted refugee status in 1998.

According to the minutes of the Refugee Advisory Committee held in August 25 and 26 last year, Ali’s refugee status was revoked because he did not respect the laws of Botswana.

“He is reported to have gone back to Somalia with his two wives and children except Mahommed Faisal Ali and Mustaf Faisal Ali who are operating an illegal car business for their father…Ali returned to Botswana on July 30, 2016. He is reported to have crossed using a South African passport bearing different names,” according to the minutes.

The minutes further say that Ali is reported to be a leader of a syndicate that is involved in money laundering and is also reported to be in contact with undesirable elements in and outside Botswana.

According to documents passed to this publication, after Ali’s refugee status was revoked, he was detained at the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants (FCII) but no reasons were given for his detention, which prompted Moseki to challenge Kgathi’s decision to revoke his status.

According to a media release dated January 10, 2017 from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security entitled “Immediate arrest of Somali refugee Faisal Issa Ali”, Ali is currently at large and missing at the Dukwi Refugee Camp.

His status, the release says, was revoked in 2016 and he was arrested and handed to the FCII pending deportation.

“On December 29, 2016, he appeared before Justice Moroka challenging the revocation of refugee status and his imprisonment. The High Court did not grant his wish but instead ordered his release from the refugee centre and his return to Dukwi Refugee Camp. He was ordered to remain in the camp until he appears before Moroka again to show cause why his refugee status cannot be revoked,” said the release.

It added that since his release from the centre, Ali has not complied with the court order in that he did not return to Dukwi and remain in the camp.