ID thief caught red-handed
2007-12-12 22:57
Johannesburg - A clerk at an identity document factory was arrested in Pretoria on Wednesday after he attempted to steal 14 IDs, the home affairs department said.
The 38-year-old man was arrested during a routine body search at lunchtime.
"He was charged with theft of identity documents and taken into custody. Investigations are now under way to establish who his associates are, both inside and outside the department," said department spokesperson, Mantshele wa ga Tau.
The man will appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on Thursday.
This latest arrest comes straight after those of five other home affairs officials, who were arrested at the department's head office at Watloo, Pretoria last week.
They face charges ranging from fraud, late registration of birth, unlawful nullifying of marriages, and facilitating fraudulent marriages between South African women and illegal immigrants.
Home affairs director-general Mavuso Msimang commended the department in its efforts to root out corruption, saying the arrests were in line with the department's zero tolerance approach to corruption.
Msimang said that while the vast majority of home affairs employees are not corrupt there were "pockets of corruption" that had to be dealt with.
He urged home affairs officials and members of the public to report any suspected acts of corruption.
Anyone with any information can contact the National Anti-Corruption hotline on 0800-701-701.
- SAPA