Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed hefty prison sentences handed down to a corrupt immigration practitioner and her Ethiopian national.
This after the immigration official Nasi Seqola and her accomplice Biru Yosef Alem were sentenced to 15 years behind bars without the option of a fine. The pair, which was found guilty in October 2021, was sentenced on Monday.
“This sentence reflects the severity of the crime. People who do not respect the country’s immigration laws must face the full might of the law,” said Motsoaledi.
Siya Qoza, spokesperson for the minister, said in a statement that Seqola tried to recruit an official from Government Printing Works (GPW) to print 5 000 blank permits for R150 000 compensation.
Qoza explained: “The official reported Seqola’s advances to the counter corruption branch which worked with other law-enforcement officials to set up the sting. The 5 000 blank permits were printed by GPW and handed over to law-enforcement officers.
“These permits were used in the sting and Seqola paid R150 000. The law-enforcement officers moved in after the payment and took the cash and the permits. The permits were returned to GPW. This avoided what could have been a catastrophe in terms of permitting.”
Motsoaledi added: “We congratulate the patriotic GPW official who resisted huge amounts of money and remained honest to his job and his country.
“Some immigration practitioners have had a corrosive effect on Home Affairs service delivery. They corrupted a lot of Home Affairs officials and by extension tried to launch an attack on the sovereignty of our country.”
After Alem has finished serving his time, he will be deported to the country of his origin.
Qoza also said: “It must be noted that immigration practitioners are not employees of the Department of Home Affairs. They must not be confused with immigration officers who are uniformed Department of Home Affairs officials.
“Immigration practitioners are private businesses that assist foreign nationals to apply for permits. In other words, they act as third parties in the application process. Unfortunately, some of these immigration practitioners are not affiliated with any professional statutory body that regulates their conduct. Alarmingly, some do not have verifiable business premises.”
Immigration practitioners often bid to gain an advantage over their competitors, with some resorting to illegal activities such as bribery, said Qoza. adding that they bribe corrupt Home Affairs officials to get their clients’ applications accelerated.
To avoid this and possible incrimination, Qoza advised against involving third parties in the application process.
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