fraud charges
17 August 2007
To root out the corruption within the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport,
the Traffic and Transport Investigation Unit together with the Newcastle
Organised Crime Unit arrested a driving school owner and an examiner on fraud
and corruption charge.
An examiner, Marie Louise Smith (52) from Emadlangeni Municipality, Utrecht
and Rashida Mehmood (64) from Sharzi Driving School in Newcastle were arrested
after months of investigation and a close watch following the numerous
complaints from the members of the public. It is alleged that one member of the
public paid Smith R4 000 with a promise of getting a learner's licence and a
driving licence illegally that was never received.
After their arrests on the 15th and the 16th of August, the investigation
team conducted an immediate raid at the driving school and the test centre and
upon their arrival completed driving licence forms, completed learners licence
forms, driving licence cards, finger prints pads and filled and blank bar coded
fingerprint forms that only an authorised examiner is allowed to fill, were
recovered.
After the raid it was discovered that there was a link between the documents
found at the driving school premises and the examiner. Both accused were
arrested and were detained at Newcastle police station and were later released
on R2 500 bail.
MEC B Cele reiterated his road safety message "It is the department's
mandate to ensure that corruption is rooted out especially the issuing of
illegal driving licences as it impacts badly on road safety and the department
will continue to ensure that all the road users are safe in order to decrease
road crashes," said Cele.
Issued by: Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
17 August 2007
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (http://www.kzntransport.gov.za/)
