Marriage scam in Mpumalanga

2009-07-09 22:06

Johannesburg - Mpumalanga police on Thursday called for women in the province who were illegally married to foreigners to come forward.

Captain Leonard Hlathi said the call came after a Witbank businessman was arrested following the discovery of South African identity documents in his possession.

Ogomezie Jude, 40, a Nigerian national, was allegedly found in possession of six men's and three women's identity documents belonging to South African citizens.

"It is alleged that the suspect uses the female IDs to marry owners without their consent and he allegedly already married two South African women," Hlathi said.

Jude was also allegedly found in possession of two fraudulent divorce decrees claiming that two of the women whose identity documents he had, were divorced.

Shocking discovery

The women discovered they were married when they went to home affairs to verify their personal information.

They reported the matter to the police which then led to the provincial organised crime unit conducting an operation and searching Jude's business premises.

Police found the fraudulent documents, which led to Jude's arrest on June 25.

He was charged with fraud, possession of unlawful property and contravention of the Immigration Act.

Jude appeared in the Witbank Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, and his case was postponed to July 16 for a bail application.

He remained in police custody.

Anyone who had been a victim of an illegal marriage could contact Hlathi on 082-462-0802, Inspector Simon Mtsweni on 082-304-0054 or Constable Matome Mohale on 082-462-0535.
 

- SAPA