Two accused, foreign nationals, Tausi Majani Kahwere (25), John Majani Kahwere (44), both Congolese were convicted by the Durban Magistrates court on 4 March 2024 as well as three other accused, Morshed Alam (25) Saiful Islam Sujon (43), both Bangladeshi nationals and Oliver Whendle Hurriparsad (42) a South African national were found guilty on the 5 March 2024 following a lengthy investigation by the National Serious Corruption Investigation in collaboration with Department of Home Affairs’ Counter Corruption in KZN which resulted in a lengthy trial until all the accused pleaded guilty. The foreign nationals were arrested between 2021 and 2023 as they were boarding flights to different destinations, already gone through the airport processes. They were found guilty of all seven (7) charges brought against them as follows:
Count 1 – Fraud
Count 2 – Corruption: Contravention of Section 3, Act 12 f 2004
Count 3 – Contravention of Section 18 (1) (a) of the Identification Act, Act 68 of 1998
Count 4 – Contravention of Section 49 (7) of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002
Count 5 – Corruption under Section 3, Act 12 of 2004
Count 6 & 7 – Contravention of Section 18 (1) (a) (c) of Identification Act
The Congolese duo will be sentenced tomorrow, Friday, 08 March 2024 whilst the trio will be sentenced on 21 May 2024.
It was reported that during 2021, a Department of Home Affairs official, Judy Zuma operating with a foreign nationals syndicate colluded with South African citizens to assist foreign nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Democratic Republic of Congo to obtain South African passports by using their identity documents and biometrics. The foreign nationals fraudulently replaced the owner’s photos with theirs and assumed the names of the South African citizens. The official Judy Zuma has since pleaded guilty and convicted on 1159 counts of Fraud, Corruption, Contravention of Immigration Act 13 of 2002 and Contravention of Identification Act.
The Zuma will be sentenced on 05 April 2024.
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