Customs officers refuse $30 000 bribe at OR Tambo Airport
Threatens to spill beans on those smearing his name
THREE SA Revenue Service (Sars) customs officers turned down a bribe of $30 000 (R392 000) by a passenger they apprehended at OR Tambo International Airport this week.
According to Sars, the passenger who was travelling to Dubai on Tuesday was removed from his flight before take-off for questioning after he was flagged by the Sars risk unit. The passenger had no checked-in luggage and only one backpack, which was extremely heavy.
“On the way to the customs
WHILE he may be scrambling for money to pay his legal fees, former president Jacob Zuma was defiant outside the Durban High Court yesterday after appearing on 16 charges related to corruption, racketeering, money laundering and fraud.
Zuma, who sang and danced in front of a crowd of loyal supporters, warned that he’d spill the beans on those who continue to smear his name in public.
He made similar threats on Thursday night at the Durban City Hall for the first time, and yesterday after his brief court appearance he told hundreds of his supporters that he also “knew things about the people who were talking about him”.
“I want to warn all of them, all of them. In the past few years they have dragged my name through the mud. Some of them say Zuma is corrupt but they can’t tell me what I have done that makes me corrupt. I know some of them who say this about me, they are also corrupt. I will spill the beans on them.”
Meanwhile, who will be paying for Zuma’s legal fees came under the spotlight during his brief court appearance.
State advocate Billy Downer said they were ready to proceed to trial but Zuma’s team was not. The State indicated they were ready to start the trial in November this year.
Downer told Deputy Judge President Mjabuliseni Madondo that after a discussion with Zuma’s lawyer, Michael Hulley, they agreed that the time between yesterday and Zuma’s next court appearance was sufficient for Hulley to gain clarity on his legal fees.
Hulley said they wrote to the Presidency on May 24 but has since not heard back.
Judge Madondo adjourned the matter to July 27, but it will be heard in the Pietermaritzburg High Court where the courts are bigger and able to deal with a high-profile case while the Durban courts undergo renovations.
This was Zuma’s second appearance at the Durban High Court and the 16 charges relate to his alleged involvement in the controversial arms deal, but the former president insists they are politically motivated.
While the march through town by search area, he repeatedly offered the two customs officers bundles of currency in return for allowing him to leave with his backpack. Both refused this request,” Sars said in a statement yesterday.
“They were then joined by a customs manager in the interview room and the passenger again offered them all bundles of currency in order to secure his release.
“The offer was increased to $30 000 and was consistently refused by the customs officials in the interview room.”
The entire interaction, including the searching of his bag which contained $334 895, was captured on CCTV. A criminal case was registered with the police for attempted bribery, false declaration and failure to declare. The passenger was supporters was led by church leaders, seated among the VVIPS in the courtroom supporting Zuma were Sihle Zikalala, Des van Rooyen, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Meshack Radebe and Supra Mahumapelo. Others clad in ANC regalia sat in the seats marked for family.
This week, the KZN Church Leaders Group issued a media statement, distancing the city’s church leadership from church leaders who supported Zuma.
The group said: “Most South Africans are by now well aware of the state capture which occurred during the presidency of former president Jacob Zuma. What they may not be aware of is the fact that during remanded in custody.
In a second incident on Tuesday, two passengers bound for Dubai were intercepted at the airport for being in possession of undeclared currency.
The male passenger was taken to the customs search area and three of his bags were searched, where officers found the equivalent of more than R600 000 in dollars and Pakistani rupees.
A criminal case of failure to declare was registered and the passenger was remanded in custody. – African News Agency (ANA)
He repeatedly offered officials bundles of notes
the same period a concerted effort was made to capture the church.”
It detailed that selected church leaders were invited to join a state-sponsored Council of Religious Leaders at both national and provincial level, while church leaders were also invited to enter into partnership with the government to tackle major social issues.
“Significantly, not one of the leaders of the mainline churches were invited to the discussions that preceded the formation of these bodies. None have ever been contacted since… These are church leaders who are now demonstrating open support for the former president and supposedly doing so in the name of the churches in the province,” read the statement.
When he arrived at court, Zuma appeared jovial and warmly greeted his supporters in court with a handshake and a hug.
But when the issue of his legal fees was introduced by Downer, he became stony-faced. In March, the DA filed papers at the high court asking it to set aside a 2006 agreement the Presidency had signed over legal costs the former president incurred for his criminal prosecution.
This after President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that the agreement, signed by Zuma under then-president Thabo Mbeki, formed the basis for the decision to continue paying for Zuma’s legal fees in the “spy tapes” matter.
The Presidency agreed to abide by a future ruling of the high court in Pretoria on the state’s provision of legal assistance to Zuma.
Once the hearing was over yesterday, Zuma delivered his warning: “It will not be pleasant for those who are seen as holier than thou when people come to know massive things about them. If they were to right now tell me I am lying and there’s nothing I can tell about them, they will see. I repeat this message because I am tired of being nice.”