Latest news with #IdentificationActandImmigrationAct
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- The Citizen
Seven accused in fraudulent passport case remanded in custody
The suspects face charges of corruption, fraud, and contraventions of the Identification Act and Immigration Act. The seven suspects arrested in connection with the issuing of fraudulent passports have been remanded in custody after appearing in court on Tuesday. Philani Mmeli Zaca, 41, Fumani 'Guru' Hlayisi,35, Zime Anita Shange, 38, Bongiwe Kubheka, 48, Thandiwe Pretty Khwela, 43, Lungisani Siyanda Mzobe, 32, and Lindokuhle Bongumusa Mpanza, 31, briefly appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes court sitting in the Durban Magistrate's Court following their arrests by the Pretoria-based Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks). Five of the suspects were arrested on 14 June in an ongoing operation, one was arrested on Monday, while another handed himself over on Tuesday morning. They face charges of corruption, fraud, and contraventions of the Identification Act and Immigration Act. Their case was postponed to Friday for legal aid and a formal bail application. Complaint from the Department of Home Affairs Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the operation emanated from a complaint from the Department of Home Affairs, relating to the issuance of fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals between February 2020 and July 2023. The group allegedly facilitated the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports by foreign nationals at the department's offices in Durban, specifically the Commercial Street branch. ALSO READ: EFF calls for treason charges against corrupt Home Affairs officials 'These unlawful activities took place outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, when the Department of Home Affairs offices were officially closed,' Mogale said. 'Preliminary investigations by the [department] confirmed that the criminal activities were indeed conducted on off hours, where the local citizens offered R300 to R1 000 in exchange for their cooperation – especially at offices in Isipingo, Durban Central and Eshowe – resulting in a case being opened for investigation by Serious Corruption Investigation,' Mogale added. Arrests since 2022 To date, a total of 38 suspects have been arrested in connection with this matter since September 2022. Seven of them are Home Affairs officials, while 31 are private citizens. '24 individuals, of whom four are [Home Affairs] officials, have been convicted and sentenced to a combined 310 years' imprisonment,' Mogale said. She added that the Hawks are not ruling out the possibility of more suspects being arrested. More than 800 cases In May, Home Affairs Deputy Director-General for Counter Corruption and Security Conny Moitse revealed a growing number of cases under investigation by the department. According to Moitse, at least 805 cases have been investigated over the past three financial years. NOW READ: Home Affairs launches Operation New Broom to tackle illegal immigration
The South African
19 hours ago
- The South African
Two more suspects arrested for corruption at Home Affairs in KZN
An additional two suspects have been arrested for corruption in the Department of Home Affairs in the ongoing operation that began last week in KwaZulu-Natal. On Saturday, 14 June, five suspects, including an ex-Home Affairs official, were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (also known as The Hawks), which is based in Pretoria. Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the execution operation emanates from a complaint from the Department of Home Affairs relating to the issuance of fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals. Mogale said the allegations reported serious offences include corruption, fraud, and contraventions of the Identification Act and Immigration Act that took place between February 2020 and July 2023, wherein a group of South African citizens allegedly facilitated the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports by foreign nationals at DHA offices in Durban, specifically the Commercial Street branch. 'These unlawful activities took place outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, when the Home Affairs offices were officially closed. 'Preliminary investigations by the DHA confirmed that the criminal activities were indeed conducted on off hours where the local citizens offered R300 to R1 000 in exchange for their cooperation especially at Home Affairs offices in Isipingo, Durban Central and Eshowe resulting in a case being opened for investigation by Serious Corruption Investigation,' Mogale explained. According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, so far, a total of 38 individuals have been previously arrested on the matter, between September 2022 to date of which seven are Home Affairs officials whilst 31 are private citizens. A total of 24 individuals of whom four are Home Affairs officials have been convicted and sentenced to a combined sentence of 310 years imprisonment. The other five suspects who were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation on 14 June in various parts of Durban will face charges of corruption, fraud, contravention of the Immigration Act; and contravention of the Identification Act. The suspects are expected to appear at the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday, 17 June. The DPCI has not ruled out the possibility of more suspects being arrested. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
