Immigration officer and Tanzanian national in Tonga court for fraud and corruption
The immigration officer was granted R5 000 bail, but her co-accused was remanded in custody.
An immigration officer, Bongi Gladys Shongwe (49), and a Tanzanian national, Ibrahim Siriri (34, appeared in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court today, December 11, for fraud and corruption.
They were arrested after it was discovered that Siriri had paid Shongwe R1 000 to stamp his passport and extend his stay in the country.
Shongwe was released on R5 000 bail, but her co-accused was remanded in custody.
The case against him was postponed to tomorrow, December 12, for formal bail application.
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According to the Hawks’ spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Dineo Sekgotodi, on December 5, one of the border guards employed by the Border Management Authority at the Jeppe’s Reef Border post intercepted Siriri while he was trying to climb over the fence. He could not provide a clear explanation of where he was going or coming from.
#sapsHAWKS A 49-year-old Immigration Officer and a 34-year-old Tanzanian national are due to appear in the Schoemansdal Magistrate’s Court on 11 December 2024, for corruption and contravention of the Immigration Act. MLhttps://t.co/LKYrF1CTA5 pic.twitter.com/F4xRFdgxbh
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) December 11, 2024
“The border guard checked his passport and found that it already had a departure date of December 31. The accused explained that he had paid an amount of R1 000 to an immigration officer to stamp the passport and extend his stay in the country,” she said.
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Sekgotodi said further investigation linked the stamp number to Shongwe. It was also found that Siriri’s temporary resident permit had expired on August 9, 2015.
Both accused were arrested, charged and detained on Tuesday, December 10.
