Two Krugersdorp home affairs officials among suspects bust in March ‘making SA passports’
Twenty-six suspects who are among a group of 27 arrested for their alleged involvement in a syndicate selling fraudulent passports and documents reserved for SA citizens have been granted R2,000 bail each.
The Krugersdorp magistrate’s court on Thursday granted them bail, while accused one, a Pakistani who allegedly entered SA illegally and obtained his asylum fraudulently, was denied bail as he was deemed to be a flight risk. His asylum status was revoked.
The accused were charged with corruption in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
TimesLIVE reported that two home affairs officials from the Krugersdorp office are among the suspects.
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba, who has campaigned vigorously for stronger action to be taken by the government against foreigners in the country illegally, said: “ActionSA regrets the outcome of the bail application hearing of the 27 people accused of allegedly being involved in the passport fraud syndicate.
“The syndicate, which includes Pakistani foreign nationals as well as allegedly corrupt South African home affairs officials, are facing multiple charges of corruption, being in possession of suspected fraudulent documents and contravening the Immigration Act.”
