The Pretoria High Court in north Gauteng is in the spotlight after the Hawks raided it to gather evidence against an official under investigation for suspected fraud and corruption.

Late yesterday, May 13, the elite crime-fighting unit pounced on the office of a court official who is accused of issuing fraudulent notices of motion to illegal immigrants currently staying in South Africa.

It is alleged that the said employee has been issuing fraudulent notices of motion to undocumented foreign nationals to prevent their deportation to their countries of origin under the guise that the matter is still pending in court. This was after the case was formally reported to the Hawks in March this year.

“This search and seizure operation specifically targeted one office and an individual believed to be central to the commission of these offences. Exhibits were seized for further investigation,” the Hawks said in a statement after the raid.

The Office of the Chief Justice and the Department of Justice are yet to comment on the matter or indicate what actions would be taken against the fingered official.