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A former Free State immigration official has been sentenced to five years in prison for soliciting a bribe for the release of an asylum seeker's documents.
Ezekiel Mokhachane, 48, was found guilty and sentenced on a corruption charge when he appeared in the Zastron Regional Court on Thursday.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Christopher Singo, said they received information about Mokhachane's dealings in 2017.
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"On 19 May 2017, the Bloemfontein-based Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team received information from the complainant that a Home Affairs immigration official based in Zastron took their travel and asylum documents. He demanded R3 000 for the release of their documents."
Singo said the Hawks investigated the complaint and arrested Mokhachane after he was found with R3 000.
Free State Hawks head, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, applauded the court for handing down a prison sentence and said it would send a strong message to those entrusted with upholding the law who were guilty of wrongdoing.
