Three Home Affairs officials attached to the Randfontein branch have been arrested by the Lyttleton Police Officers for corruption and fraud after they allegedly helped fake doctor Leeto Chele to fraudulently obtain a South African ID document.

FRAUDULENT ID AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES

it was found that the officials, namely, Charlotte Bens Edwards, Mzamo Mbilini and Lebogang Sunduswayo, also assisted 372 other foreign nationals alongside Chele, and some of the applications were allegedly processed after working hours and some during weekends when the office was expected to be closed for business.

FAKE DOCTOR CHELE

This shocking revelation came to the fore after it was discovered during investigation that Chele, who is currently in police custody for fraud after he swindled more than 10 women of an amount of R1. 6 million under the pretence that they were investing in his chemist business, was not a South African citizen, but rather a Zimbabwean national.

Chele, a 16 year old doctor, according to his South African ID, obtained his ID document after a late birth registration application was filed and processed at the Randfontein Home Affairs branch by the three arrested officials. 

EXPOSING THE SYNDICATE 

Zimoja understands that's one of them has turned state witness after exposing their shenanigans to the police after an intense questioning about their fraudulent scheme. 

Ben Edwards, a former data capturer who dealt solely with registering birth, death and marriage certificates at Home Affairs, had resigned early this year, and she was picked up by the police at her home on Monday. 

PAID TO CAPTURE FRAUDULENT APPLICATIONS 

She told the police she and her accomplices were paid between R1000 and R3000 per application by their clients to capture and process birth certificates and ID documents without their presence. 

At the time of her resignation, which she said came about after she was threatened by one of their syndicate members with an instruction that she must resign because she was about to questioned about their business by the Office Manager, Edwards said the group had already fraudulently captured and issued birth certificates and ID numbers to more than 372 foreign nationals. 

According to police statements seen by Zimoja, Chele's true identity was exposed after the investigating officer attached to the Lyttleton Police Station attempted to speak to his parents to confirm his address in order to secure his bail. 

However, it happened that while confirming the details of his address, his age, and some of the assets he had acquired, police became suspicious of his identity. 

MOTHER DISOWNS FAKE DOCTOR SON 

Police visits to Chele's supposed mother Mary Emily Nkosi outrightly denied mothering the millionaire fake doctor. 

The police statement shows that Nkosi told the police that Chele was her doctor for three years and she used to consult at his practise where he would administer her some pills help with her medical condition. 

When askeed if she was aware that her names appeared on Chele's unabridged birth certificate as his mother, Nkosi said the information was news to her, and insisted that she was not Chele's mother.

A man called Pusetso Thabo Isaacs Chele is listed as Chele's father in the birth certificate. However Nkosi told the police that she has never heard of the man's name let alone met him. 

She told the police that her names were used without her knowledge and permission to fraudulently issue the Zimbabwean born fake doctor with an identity document, to dupe innocent women of their hard earned money.

FAKE DOCTOR TOOK CLIENT ID AND PROMISED LAND GIFT

The police statement shows that Nkosi told the investigators that she was not surprised by the discovery stating that Chele had approached her few years ago asking her to give him her ID document claiming that he wanted to buy her a piece of land as a gift for being her longtime client. 

However, she said he disappeared with her ID and never brought it back. 

She said she tried to go to his practice in Centurion to get the document back, but said she discovered that he was no longer at the address. 

Zimoja understands that Nkosi opened a case of fraud against Chele after the meeting with the police. 

The publication also understands that Pusetso Thabo Isaacs Chele is on the radar of the police to answer for his role in the saga.