Officials ‘hit in full view of public’
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
A convoy of Home Affairs and police vehicles rolled into the border post at just after 8am. Photo: Doctor Ngcobo
They hit them in full view of the public.
On Friday, 13 Home Affairs officials and six policemen were arrested in raids across Mpumalanga – handcuffed and arrested, while travellers and those wanting to cross the border watched. All were charged with corruption.
“They all co-operated and no one gave us problems,” said police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Hlathi.
These were just the latest successes of Operation Mahlabandlovu.
In the early hours yesterday, police and Home Affairs officials gathered at the remote Tonga police station.
At 8am the operation got under way, with some investigators travelling as far as 200km to make their arrests.
One of the raids focused on the Lebombo Border Post on the Mozambique Border.
A convoy of Home Affairs and police vehicles rolled into the border post at just after 8am yesterday. To the surprise of everyone working at the post, the first woman to be arrested was processing passports.
She went quietly. Another woman burst into tears.
Those who had been waiting in her line had to find other queues. As in the case of others who were arrested, investigators seized her cellphone, documents and passports. Cars were also searched.
Investigators recovered several passports and fingerprint-capturing equipment – including ink pads and rollers – in the vehicle of one suspect.
Home Affairs director of investigative services Connie Moitse said yesterday at the scene officials were not supposed to have individuals’ passports in their vehicles.
Another suspect was found with a bundle of Pakistani passports.
Investigators suspect those they arrested yesterday were taking bribes from foreigners entering South Africa without proper entry visas.
It appears to be a lucrative source of income. One Home Affairs investigator said they made as much as R10 000 a day.
A total of 15 people were arrested at the border post. Over the past couple of years Lebombo has gained a reputation for corruption.
“Several of our staff were detained in an ongoing operation. This shows we are really serious about fighting corruption,” said Moitse.
The arrested Home Affairs officials were suspended from the department, pending an investigation. Those arrested will probably appear on corruption charges in the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court on Monday.. - Saturday Star
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/mpumalanga/officials-hit-in-full-view-of-public-1.1126178
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