Manager at AG's office in Pretoria held for allegedly offering Home Affairs official a R3 000 bribe

An employee at the AG's office has been arrested.

Getty Images

  • A general manager at the office of the Auditor-General in Pretoria has been arrested.
  • He allegedly offered a Home Affairs official a R3 000 bribe.
  • According to the Hawks, it emerged that his ID card and his daughter's birth certificate were fraudulent.

A general manager at the office of the Auditor-General has been arrested for allegedly trying to bribe a Home Affairs official. 

The 46-year-old foreign national was arrested on Wednesday in a sting operation by the Hawks after he allegedly offered the official R3 000. 

The man visited the Department of Home Affairs in Randburg to apply for his 14-year-old daughter's South African passport. 

"Upon a systematic interview with the immigration officers, the suspect allegedly failed to produce citizenship rights, which permitted him to possess a South African smart identity card and also a birth certificate for his said daughter," said Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu. 

Mulamu said the man allegedly pleaded with the immigration officer to return the smart ID and birth certificate in exchange for a bribe. 

"Further investigation revealed that both the identity smart card and birth certificate possessed by the suspect were fraudulent. The suspect was subsequently charged with fraud and corruption," Mulamu said.

The man is expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Friday.

The Hawks acting provincial head in Gauteng, Brigadier Wendy Mashwabane, applauded police for their work. 

"We appeal to the public to report any criminal activities to law enforcement agencies for justice to take its course. Furthermore, we appreciate the immigration officers for not falling prey to perpetrators, who would allegedly break the law to get what they want," Mashwabane said.

Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke said the matter was not to be taken lightly.

www.samigration.com