KEY POINTS
- A security official working as an immigration officer received a guilty conviction for requesting a R3,000 bribe at OR Tambo International Airport.
- The court of law imposed on Shongwe a R30,000 fine or six years behind bars that they suspended for five years.
- The Hawks continue their dedication to combat corruption within public departments.
A Kempton Park Magistrate Court in Gauteng province found guilty a previous OR Tambo International Airport immigration officer who extorted money from Thais seeking entry to South Africa.
Officer demanded bribe
The Hawks officially stated that Lee-Ann Cloete received a corruption conviction because she obtained a R3,000 bribe payment from a recently arrived Thai national on September 7, 2019.
The Thai passenger from OR Tambo International Airport arrived at South Africa to join their companion who resided in Durban. The checkpoint staff member Cloete presented false grounds to the visitor’s entry process and asked for money in exchange for passport stamping regulations.
Due to lacking money at hand the person reached out to their South African companion who performed a digital R3,000 transfer. The traveler received clearance for entry into South Africa only after Cloete received the payment.
Court ruling and sentencing
The Hawks’ serious corruption unit conducted their investigation before Cloete received arrest and corruption charges.
The Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court sentenced Cloete to pay either R30,000 or undergo six years of imprisonment with five years of suspension on February 19, 2025.
The Hawks organization strengthened their dedication to combat corruption throughout the nation.
Major General Ebrahim Kadwa from the Hawks leadership in Gauteng celebrated the conviction by declaring their dedication to remove corruption from official government institutions.
The organisation maintains a complete prohibition on corruption alongside all unlawful practices. Kadwa declared that the Hawks continue to pledge complete dedication to law enforcement while guaranteeing official integrity particularly in cases involving law enforcement personnel.
Previous corruption case in Mpumalanga
Furthermore, serial offender Mpumalanga immigration officer Bongi Gladys Shongwe received a corruption and fraud charge for stamping an expired Tanzanian passport with a R1,000 exchange payment. The court hearing took place at Tonga Magistrate’s Court during December 2024.
