ID fraud accused nabbed formore charges outside court

Just a few minutes after a former home affairs employee appeared on charges of fraud and corruption on Thursday, she was nabbed for another graft case outside the Pretoria magistrate’s court.

Charlotte Bens-Edward, 40, had just appeared together with home affairs officials – Lebogang Sunduzwayo and Mzamo Mbilini – and bogus doctor Kingsley Leeto Chele.

According to the department, Bens-Edward who was an administration clerk for 17 years implicated Sunduzwayo and Mbilini in an alleged syndicate which issued fraudulent documents from 2020.

Sunduzwayo and Mbilini, both 41, are employed as public service clerks from September 2006 and July 2010, respectively.

This week, Sowetan reported how an investigation into the two identity documents belonging to Chele led to police cracking the alleged syndicate involving home affairs officials who are accused of selling documents, including identity documents, birth, death and marriage, to illegal immigrants.

A source close to the investigations revealed how the syndicate had issued over 370 fraudulent documents and had been charging more than R2,000 per applicant.

Gauteng police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo confirmed that the accused [Bens-Edward] was re-arrested for a fraud case that was opened at the Bronkhorstspruit police station.

“We can confirm that we have rearrested her for fraud. We can also confirm that she processed home affairs documents fraudulently when she was still working for the department.

“We cannot divulge more information as that might compromise our investigation,” Masondo said.

He said the accused would appear in court in due course to face fresh charges.

Bens-Edward was first arrested on fraud and corruption charges on October 26 and was granted R500 bail on November 3.

In court on Thursday, Bens-Edward’s legal representative was not present and she then signed up for a state lawyer.

The case was postponed to December 1 for the bail application of Sunduzwayo, Mbilini and Chele.

Department of home affairs media manager David Hlabane said Bens-Edward resigned in January 2022, saying she was joining her partner in a business venture in Cape Town, Western Cape.

This was before she could face disciplinary processes.

“The counter corruption branch of the department investigated and finalised three cases concerning Bens-Edward and two cases against Sunduzwayo and after finalisation they were referred to disciplinary hearings. [The] Bens-Edward matter was referred to the SAPS [and] with regards to Mbilini, there was no case investigated [initially]. However, he now faces an internal investigation,” he said, adding that the department could not finalise the enquiry on Bens-Edward as she resigned.

“However, a misconduct marker was placed on the government payroll system. [This means] the department would be aware if she attempts to re-enter the public service system and we would then alert the employer to finalise the disciplinary hearing as per amended Section 16B(4) of the Public Service Act 1994.”

He said Sunduzwayo was still undergoing the disciplinary hearing process.

Chele was arrested on October 2 for posing as a medical doctor who used his Facebook page to lure health workers to invest in his nonexistent pharmaceutical business.

According to a police insider, he has allegedly taken more than R1.2m from his victims.

Chele is facing numerous charges of fraud as well as car theft and escaping from police custody.

In his previous court appearance, the state said it was in possession of two SA identity documents belonging to Chele.

He has presented himself as a 17-year-old but a district surgeon Test done about two weeks ago estimated him to be in his early 20s.

The National Prosecuting Authority is still waiting for Interpol results on his identity verification.

newsdesk@sowetan.co.za