Court case on illegal marriages postponed

THE court case involving a Bangladeshi man and a South African woman accused of contravening the Immigration Act and arranging marriages for foreigners to obtain South African identification documents was postponed again yesterday.

Abu Bokar, 35, a Bangladeshi man, and his South African counterpart, Nomabandla Mangezi, 43, were arrested earlier this month after the Department of Home Affairs was alerted to their alleged recruitment of local women to marry foreign nationals.

A source close to the case said the pair, from North End, allegedly recruited young women from New Brighton, Kwazakhele and Zwide, paying them as little as R200 to marry the men.

The two appeared in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a variety of charges, including aiding and abetting foreign nationals while arranging unlawful marriages to South African citizens.

Both have been in custody since their arrest.

It emerged in court yesterday that the state was still waiting for necessary documents to finalise their case.

These include profiles on both the accused, a status determination for Bokar and SAP69 forms listing any other convictions they might have.

Prosecutor Mbolekwa Mayile said the state needed two days to obtain the paperwork.

A further request for a Bangladeshi interpreter for Bokar was made by his legal representative, attorney John Coetzee.

Magistrate Sanjani Naidoo said the case could not continue until all the necessary documents were in the possession of the state and an interpreter was available.