Four foreign nationals and a South African citizen have been found guilty of corruption by the Durban Magistrate’s Court. The syndicate was involved in fraudulently using South African citizens’ identity documents and biometrics to obtain South African passports for foreign nationals.

The convicted individuals include Congolese nationals, 25-year-old Tausi Majani Kahwere and 44-year-old John Majani Kahwere, as well as Bangladeshi nationals, 25-year-old Morshed Alam and 43-year-old Saiful Islam Sujon. South African national Oliver Whendle Hurriparsad, aged 42, was also found guilty.

**”All the accused pleaded guilty,”** stated Colonel Katlego Mogale, the spokesperson for the case. The convictions followed a lengthy investigation by the National Serious Corruption Investigation in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs’ Counter Corruption unit in KwaZulu-Natal, which resulted in a lengthy trial.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports, which poses a significant threat to national security. The successful prosecution sends a stern warning to those involved in such illegal activities and reinforces the commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the country’s identity documents.