Hi Wiz,
Yes, there is media coverage on this one. Below is media info from NEWS.24.COM (the report on their webpage) as well as the Afrikaans version from BEELD's webpage (it's the local Afrikaans daily). What I find interesting is that the BEELD version refers to a CAA employee while the NEWS.24.COM refers to a pilot. Does this maybe imply a CAA flight inspector or do the press have it a*se about face again? Maybe just a translation glitch, who knows?
From NEWS.24.COM- quote
18/08/2000 23:05 - (SA)
Pilot guilty of fraud
Wolfram Zwecker
Pretoria - Just two days after an independent inquiry into allegations on the "buying and selling" of pilot licences found there was no reason for public concern, one of the pilots investigated has been found guilty of fraud and corruption by the Pretoria Magistrates' Court.
The man convicted on Friday is one of a group of nine Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) pilots and employees.
His name is being withheld due to the sensitive nature of the investigation. Some of those involved have reportedly received death threats.
Magistrate C Moyses said during sentencing the fact that the 28-year-old man had told the truth and taken the court into his confidence counted in his favour.
Moyses sentenced the man to six years imprisonment, suspended for five years, a fine of R20 000 or one year imprisonment and three years of community service. He has to pay R5 000 of his fine immediately and the rest in monthly installments of R1 000.
The community service is to be performed over weekends and he will be under house arrest between 18:00 and 06:00 every day. He may attend Rhema Church services on Sundays.
The conviction comes two days after an independent panel of inquiry led by Advocate Vincent Maleka found there was no truth in the allegations made by former Airlink pilot Louis Maloma that he assisted eight pilots to buy the Airline Transport Licence (ATP) examination papers from CAA employees.
The licence is required by commercial airline pilots. Three of the pilots arrested on the strength of Maloma's statement flew for South African Airways, while the others were with SA Airlink and other large companies.
A CAA spokesperson said on Friday the organisation was "unaware" of the conviction, and would not comment. The report was compiled from evidence given to the panel and statements by both Maloma and Brandon Harris. They were, however, not prepared to testify before the inquiry.
Manie Esterhuizen, whose son Kobus died in a flying accident in Mozambique, refused to testify after receiving a death threat.
Despite this, the panel found that Dick Delacovia, pilot of the aircraft in which Kobus died, did not have the type of commercial pilot's licence required for the flight. According to the report, he was in possession of two different pilot's licences.
Transport Minister Dullah Omar's spokesperson Mike Mabasa said on Friday they were unaware of the case and would study the panel's report before making any comment.
unqoute NEWS.24.COM
From BEELD qoute
18/08/2000 21:42 - (SA)
Hof sê BLO-man is skuldig
Wolfram Zwecker
Skaars twee dae nadat 'n onafhanklike paneel van ondersoek bevind het daar is geen grondige bewyse dat die burgerlugvaartowerheid (BLO) by die onwettige "koop" en "verkoop" van vlieglisensies betrokke was nie, is een van die betrokkenes gister in die landdroshof in Pretoria skuldig bevind aan bedrog en korrupsie.
Dié man is een van 'n groep van nege vlie'niers en werknemers van die BLO wat die afgelope twee maande aangekeer is.
Sy naam word weerhou weens die sensitiwiteit van die ondersoek en bewerings van nóg doodsdreigemente teen van die mense wat betrokke is by die saak.
Landdros C. Moyses het in vonnisoplegging gesê dit tel in die man se guns dat hy die waarheid gepraat en die hof in sy vertroue geneem het.
Hy het hom gevonnis tot ses jaar gevangenisstraf, uitgestel vir vyf jaar, 'n boete van R20 000 of een jaar gevangenisstraf en drie jaar ge meenskapsdiens.
Hy moet R5 000 van sy boete onmiddellik betaal en die res in maandelikse paaiemente van R1 000. Die gemeenskapsdiens behels onder meer dat hy in huisarres is van 18:00 saans tot 6:00 soggens en oor naweke gemeenskapsdiens moet verrig.
Die skuldigbevinding kom twee dae nadat die verslag van die onafhanklike paneel van ondersoek, onder leiding van adv. Vincent Maleka, bevind het daar steek geen waarheid in mnr. Louis Maloma, 'n voormalige vlie'nier van SA Airlink, se bewerings oor onre'lmatighede by die BLO nie.
Maloma het in 'n be'digde verkla ring in Maart vanjaar beweer hy het agt vlie'niers gehelp om vraestelle by werknemers van die BLO te koop om te verseker dat hulle hul Airline Transport Licence-eksamen (ATP) kan slaag. Die lisensie word vereis vir vlie'niers wat vir lugdienste vlieg. Drie van die vlie'niers wat na aanleiding van Maloma se verkla ring in hegtenis geneem is, het vir die Suid Afrikaanse Lugdiens gevlieg. Die ander was by SA Airlink en ander groot maatskappye.
'n Woordvoerder van die BLO het gistermiddag by navraag gesê hulle is nie bewus van die skuldigbevinding nie, maar sal ook nie kommentaar lewer op 'n strafregtelike saak nie.
Die verslag is opgestel oor getuie nis wat voor die paneel gelewer is, en sowel Maloma as mnr. Brandon Harris, wat verklarings afgelê het, was nie bereid om voor die paneel te getuig nie. Mnr. Manie Esterhuizen, wie se seun Kobus in 'n vliegongeluk in Mosambiek dood is, het ook nie getuig nie nadat hy 'n doodsdreigement ontvang het.
Mnr. Mike Mabasa, woordvoerder van mnr. Dullah Omar, minister van vervoer, het gistermiddag gesê hulle was nie bewus van die hofverskyning nie en wil in elk geval eers die verslag van die onafhanklike paneel bestudeer voordat hulle kommentaar lewer.
unqoute
So where to now???