According to the Free State police spokesperson, Mahlomola Kareli, the officer stationed at Maseru Bridge Port of Entry was arrested in the early hours of Monday 27 March 2023.

Her arrest follows an incident on 7 March 2023 at around 05:30 where the accused took an undisclosed amount of money from a taxi driver who was allegedly attempting to go to Lesotho with illegal immigrants. 

According to Kareli, the taxi driver and four illegal immigrants were arrested on the spot by members of the Border Management Authorities and they are currently in custody after being denied bail. A 44-year-old police officer appeared in court and is out on R3000 bail.

Kareli added that the accused will make her next appearance in the Ladybrand Magistrate’s Court on 21 April 2023, pending further investigations on charges of corruption, aiding and abetting, and defeating the ends of justice.

Meanwhile, three other officers accused of extortion and corruption appeared in the Ficksburg Magistrate's Court on 27 March 2023 and were released on R2000 bail. Their case has been postponed to 26 April 2023 for further investigations. 

It’s alleged that the trio were also arrested after a complainant's passport was illegally seized by an immigration official at the border crossing at Ficksburg on the grounds that it was invalid. The officer then demanded that the complainant give him R2500 to get his passport back.

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