Officials 'rotten to the core'
2004-11-02 20:10
Pretoria - Two department of home affairs officials have been arrested and another is on the run after an investigation into fraudulent documents, said Pretoria police on Tuesday.
A 32-year-old Atteridgeville woman and a 31-year-old Ga-Rankuwa man were arrested at noon after undercover police bought a false birth certificate and an identity document from them.
Inspector Piletji Sebola said the detectives managed to buy the birth certificate for R3 500 and a forged identity document for R4 500.
"A third person is on the run, but will be arrested shortly," he said.
He said that the suspects, who had been working at the Civitas home affairs building in the city centre, were believed to have been running the scam for "quite a while".
"Certain home affairs officials are rotten to the core."
Will be charged with corruption
He added that what the operation proved was that anything could be bought through certain officials at the department as long as the money was right.
"Money talks for foreigners wanting South African resident's documents," said Sebola.
The group would be charged with corruption. Additional charges relating to the Aliens Control Act might be brought against them, said Sebola.
They were due to appear in Pretoria magistrate's court on Thursday.
- SAPA