Witness tells court that the the Croatian couples only had the children from DRC two days after check-in

A WITNESS has told the Ndola magistrate court that four couples who attempted to traffic four children from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had them checked into a guest house they were living in two days later.

Estelle Banda, a General Manager at Spree guest house in Ndola narrated to the court that the eight Croatians who were booked at the guest house did not have children when they booked, but that two days later, staff at the guest house found them all with African black children.

This is a matter in which eight people of Croatian descent are charged with suspected human trafficking and were arrested from Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport with children aged between one-year-six months and three years old.

When the matter came up for trial before chief resident Magistrate Dominic Makalicha, Ms Banda told court that after the four couples checked, it was discovered that each had a black child.

She told court that the couples stayed at the lodge for five days and when going to the Airport, they each had an African black child.

“We only noticed they had children on the third day when one of the house keeper found a baby aged a year or so crying. We had no idea when the children were brought into their premises.

When I tried to ask, there was communication barrier among us, the children and the Croatians. But after we noticed the crying of the youngest who appeared to be a year old, we helped and guided the couple on how to take care of the baby,” she said.

During her narration of events, when asked by the state advocate the relationship between the couples and SBM, the purported agent who booked rooms for them, Ms Banda said she was told he was based in Livingstone and that the couples came to Zambia to adopt the children from his foundation.

Ethel Chabala , a receptionist at the guest house told court that when the couples checked into the guest house, they had no children, but that two days later, they were found with children when the youngest child was heard crying.

“Before the couples came to the lodge, a man who only identified himself as SBM called the guesthouse to reserve rooms for two people. On the day the couple arrived at the guesthouse, SBM asked the lodge to pick the couples from the airport while he picked their luggage,” she said.

And Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport Immigration deputy officer Mercy Phiri, narrated that on December 7, last year, she received information that they were Croatians who were planning to leave the country through the airport.

” After reviewing their passports, it was discovered that the Croatians entered the country as ordinary citizens while information obtained showed that the children entered through Sakania boarder. The accused person’s also produced purported adoption documents which showed that the couples did not go to Congo ,but were instead in Zambia. When asked how they adopted the children without having to travel to that country, they said that a Congolese lawyer helped them to adopt the children,” she said.

Magistrate Makalicha has adjourned the matter to January 23rd for continued trial.

Meanwhile, the eight have been granted bail of K20,000 cash with two traceable sureties.

Last month, the couples were apprehended at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport with four children from the DRC.

On December 7, last year, Damir Magic, an electrical technician and Nadic Magic, a chemical teacher, jointly and while acting together, attempted to traffic a child namely Beatrice Magic.

In count two, another couple namely, Subosic Zoran, a musician and Immovic Subosic, a Constitutional Court administrator, on the same date attempted to traffic a child namely Mariella Kalinde Immovic Subosic within the territorial boundaries of Zambia for the purpose of exploitation.

In count three, Ladislav Persic, a veterinary doctor and Aleksandra Persic, a dog beauty stylist on December 7, this year allegedly attempted to traffic a child namely Jona Asnate within the territorial boundaries of Zambia for the purpose of exploitation.

And in count four ,Noah Kraljevic, a human rights activist and Ivona Kraljevic, a proxy woman at that country’s national theater, are also alleged to have attempted to traffic a child namely Jean Val Kraljevic.

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