The trial of a Grahamstown woman who allegedly tried to bribe a Department of Home Affairs official began in the Grahamstown Magistrate's Court last week.
Paulette van Wyk, 29, allegedly tried to hand over R3 600 to an Immigration Officer, Singathwa Mthiya, in an attempt to influence the official to unlawfully release her husband from Home Affairs custody. Van Wyk's husband, Abdel Maksoud Farouk, is not a South African and is in the country illegally. In Grahamstown, foreigners contravening immigration laws are held in police cells – but their detention is termed Home Affairs custody, to distinguish them from criminals, according to Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender.
The trial of a Grahamstown woman who allegedly tried to bribe a Department of Home Affairs official began in the Grahamstown Magistrate's Court last week.
Paulette van Wyk, 29, allegedly tried to hand over R3 600 to an Immigration Officer, Singathwa Mthiya, in an attempt to influence the official to unlawfully release her husband from Home Affairs custody. Van Wyk's husband, Abdel Maksoud Farouk, is not a South African and is in the country illegally. In Grahamstown, foreigners contravening immigration laws are held in police cells – but their detention is termed Home Affairs custody, to distinguish them from criminals, according to Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender.
The alleged incident occurred at the Home Affairs offices in Bathurst Street in March this year.
On Thursday the first state witness, Mthiya, gave her account of the events she took place in her office on the morning of 4 March. She told the court that on the day of the incident, she'd had Van Wyk's husband, who had been hiding under the bed in their home earlier that day, taken into custody.
"The accused visited my office on the same morning and told me that she had R4 000 and it should be between the two of us."
"I told myself that something needed to be done about this, as I always heard complaints that the department's officials accept bribes," said Mthiya.
She told the court that she left the accused in heroffice and went to her colleague to inform her and ask her to be a witness.
"I came back with my colleague, who stood on the doorway. The accused's back was facing the door," Mthiya said. "The accused told me that there was money under a book on my table.
"I told her that this is bribery and is not allowed by the law. By that time my colleague entered the office and I told the accused that this lady is a witness."
She said Van Wyk grabbed the money and hid it in her clothes.
"I called the police, who arrived and found the money on the accused, but when it was counted it was R3 600. The accused was arrested," she said.
She denied the version put to her by defence attorney Mongezi Gqoboka that Van Wyk had been visiting the office to bring her marriage certificate, a passport and documents from the Egyptian Embassy.
"She instructed me that she put those documents on the table and there was money folded inside them, and that's when you left your office," said Gqoboka.
On Friday Xabiso Rooiland described how her colleague, Mthiya, had come to her office and asked for assistance.
"I asked her how may I help her, and she told me that she suspected that the accused wants to bribe her and she wanted me to be a witness," said Rooiland.
"I agreed to assist her, then I followed her to her office and stood in the doorway. The accused's back was facing the door, and she could not see me."
Magistrate Nomnikelo Jebese postponed the case to November 30 for further evidence. The state is expected to call one more witness.
