A senior official at the Department of Home Affairs in Grahamstown has been accused of fraudulently issuing marriage certificates to illegal immigrants and appeared at the local Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
A senior official at the Department of Home Affairs in Grahamstown has been accused of fraudulently issuing marriage certificates to illegal immigrants and appeared at the local Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Maryna Daniels (42) was arrested by the Hawks on Tuesday afternoon at the department's Bathurst Street offices. Daniels is currently on trial for contravention of Section 49 (5) of the Immigration Act 13 which states that: "Any civil servant who provides false or intentionally inaccurate or unauthorised documentation or benefit to an illegal foreigner, or otherwise facilitates such illegal foreigner to disguise his or her identity or status, or accepts any undue financial or other consideration to perform an act or to exercise his or her discretion in terms of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment not exceeding two years, provided that if such civil servant is employed by the Department such offence shall be punishable by imprisonment not exceeding three years without the option of a fine."
Daniels allegedly issued temporary residence permits to a foreign national, Amir Hossain between 12 May 2003 and 26 October 2004. The accused's deals were exposed during an intense investigation by the Hawks who had been in town for several days before her arrest.
State Prosecutor Johan Conradie opposed bail by Daniels' defence attorney, Owen Huxtable and the accused has been remanded in custody. Home Affairs' provincial manager Sonto Lusu said, "The department, together with the specialised unit, the Hawks, have started a project to alleviate corruption, and that's how Ms Daniels was caught."
The case was postponed until 1 June when the accused is also expected to plead. When Grocott's Mail reporters visited the department's offices yesterday everyone looked tense. Daniels was transferred to the North End Female Prison in Port Elizabeth.
