Xmas in jail for corrupt officials?

By Leon Engelbrecht, ITWeb senior writer

Johannesburg, 14 Dec 2007

Four Department of Home Affairs officials arrested for corruption last Friday will again appear in court on Tuesday. They were detained in connection with allegations that they registered fraudulent marriages and annulments on the mainframe-based National Population Register.

Home Affairs spokesman Mantshele wa ga Tau says two of the four are still in police custody, while the other two are free on their own recognisance.

Tau says the investigation into charges of fraud and offences under various laws governing the Home Affairs department, for facilitating fraudulent marriages between South African women and illegal immigrants and then later annulling them, continues. More arrests are anticipated.

Meanwhile, police have arrested another Department of Home Affairs official for corruption. Tau says a 38-year-old male clerk was arrested at the department`s identity document (ID) factory, in Pretoria, on Wednesday for attempting to steal 14 ID books.

The clerk was arrested during a routine security body search at lunch time. He was charged with theft and taken into custody. Tau says investigations are under way to establish whether he has any associates. He was to appear in the Pretoria Regional Magistrate court yesterday.