Results ATP-scam investigation
 

Item on SABC news tonight said that the "Independent" review committee found that no action should be taken against the awesome eight.

Why am I not surprised? I wonder if an Indian bookie got to the panel?

So now my ATP is worthless. I hope that affirmative action is worth the loss of respect for South Africa in general.

Charles, you're absolutely right. Word is that HKCAD/CX are having VERY close looks at SA ALTP's. Is there something that IFALPA can do to these thieves? Don't take this lying down. These charlatans have degraded EVERY South African ALTP, and something needs to be done to show solidarity against this type of behaviour. Censure won't work, they need to be fired, or working conditions made so unpleasant that they leave the profession.

Have a Castle for me, Chuck.

SA Flyer magazine says it all. Check out the article published recently and one can see why the findings are what they are!!!!!!!!
Derek Leathers, one of the members on the IRP received death threats, so did his wife. Now would there be these threats if there was nothing in this issue??
A sad day for aviation in South Africa.

Hey Guys, is it only us who have morals that see this as a serious letdown? From The Cape to Cairo, mediocrity takes it's toll....

I have been informed that the CAA is regarding all SA licences originally issued post 1994 with considerable scrutiny; and that there are moves afoot to treat them the same way as other African nations - i.e. "I'm sorry, we don't validate those; here's your JAA application form".

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:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

This is what happens when those who make fraudulent South African, Nigerian, Kiribati, et al licences try to bulls**t about their actual abilities. What's next, fake university degrees?

What do you mean "next" Freenum? Those have been around for ages, especially in the new government.

And don't forget your fake Liberian and Sierra Leonean licences and Equatorial Guineam IDs, Freeboot - still got the MS Publisher templates for those, eh? :) :) :)

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:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

Just two days (on 18/8) after the IRP released its somewhat expected verdict on the licence scam, the magistrates court in Pretoria found a CAA official guilty of fraud and corruption. His name is not mentioned as death threats are apparently still flying around but it was confirmed that he was one of the nine originally arrested.

Very interesting indeed!!!!

Both the CAA and the NDoT said they were not aware of yesterday's proceedings or conviction.

Hey Bakela

You got any media coverage on that? What's it doing in the magistrates court?

As far as the IRP findings go everyone here should actually read the whole document (all 100 pages). The IRP has made a rather arrogant statement that they had sufficient information to make a finding. Not so. The criminal case could go significantly differently. They are right in that the statistical evidence is absolutely unusuable.

Big loser: Abrahams. They weren't able to make a kind and considerate finding on his 'instrument rating'. They glossed over the fact that his PPL is also very dubious. On this charge alone he faces up to 5 years in jail.

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???

What an unexpected turn of events! This is very interesting. How old is Moloma? Could be a prelude to a state witness 'thing'.

Thanks Bakela!

As far as the IRP findings go if you discount paragraph 22:



... as the rubbish that it is then their findings with respect to the eight are useless.

What Bakela's information fortells I'm sure we'll discover shortly!

[Typo!]
[UUB code!]

[This message has been edited by Wiz (edited 20 August 2000).]

House arrest for selling pilot licence exams

August 18 2000 at 07:40PM



Boyd Webb

A man who sold pilot licence exam papers to students will be spending the next three years under house arrest.

The only glimmer of freedom to be experienced by Eersterus resident Harry Brandon Harris, 27, is when he is forced to carry out his 16 hours of community service this weekend.

In passing sentence, magistrate Bill Moyses also allowed Harris to attend his Rhema Church Service on Sundays between 8am and 4pm.

Harris was sentenced on Friday in the Commercial Crimes Court after being found guilty of selling Civil Aviation exam papers to students.

The court heard how Harris abused his position as administration clerk to get the papers from the computer in which they were stored between 1996 and 1998.

Harris was arrested on July 28 by police and accused of being involved in the Civil Aviation Authority licensing scam. He was later granted bail of R5 000 after pleading guilty to the charges.

He was one of eight people, including CAA boss Trevor Abrahams, who faced charges of corruption, defeating the ends of justice and possible charges in terms of the Civil Aviation Act.

Another of the suspects, SAA employee Isaac Nombu, is alleged to have bought an exam paper for
R7 500 from Harris shortly before sitting his exam.

Magistrate Moyses also sentenced Harris to five years' imprisonment suspended for six years and ordered him to pay a R20 000 fine or spend a year in prison.


Lifted from IOL

Harris has had the guts to come clean on this one. His actions are dispicable but at least he's made some effort to atone for his guilt.

Let's hope his coming clean helps bring the other amoral parties to book.

The latest is (can't name source so take it or leave it) that both Moloma and Harris were convicted.

Looks like both Beelt and News24 might be right Bakela?

http://www.mg.co.za/mg/zapiro/2000/may/may19.gif

[This message has been edited by Wiz (edited 23 August 2000).]

true life story:
I need to renew my SA Comm in a few month's time, so, because I am working in a foreign country and cannot just take leave (or go awol and go unpunnished) when I feel like it, I have applied for an extension to my license. A young lady at CAA was very friendly and expedient in helping me resolve this matter. Until it came to extending my medical...then the wheels cam off, big time.

Suddenly I am told that the validity dates on my officially issued medical certificate is invalid ! It was explained at lenght that if the examination was done more than 30 before the then current expiry date of the medical, the examination date would now be the new starting validity date up til 12 months later. BUT the examination was done less than 30 days before the then current expiry date, thus the medical could be extended from that expiry date for a furthe 12 months !!! their own words, but still I am told the validity dates in the certificate issued me was wrong !

No official correspondence by letter or phone was directed to me and if I had gone flying in SA as I wanted, I would have been doing so illegally!!

Then told to liase with CAA, who had told me to liase with the Institute, who told me to speak to CAA , who told me to speak to the Institute ..... etc

No wonder there is something called Air Rage.

But the cherry on the insult when an American tourist asked me if, since I am a South African, I have a South African license, cause apparently they are fake !!!

These freeloaders in the SA aviation industry and our national carrier, has tarnished all our reputations with their criminal behaviour, and now those of us who work for what we get, are suffering because of it.

Examiners issue medical certificates under Part 67 now. Pilot licencing still operates under the old ANRs.

Part 67 states As I see it your previous medical certificate has no bearing on the issue. Your medical is valid for 12 (or 6) months from the last day of the month of issue.

[This message has been edited by Wiz (edited 25 August 2000).]

Haven't operated on my SA ATPL since 1994 but have kept it current. Wife's just got back from SA and kindly spent a few hours at the CAA to renew my licence again - basically no problems, re-issued on the strength of a foreign ATPL and Class One medical with copies of all the supporting docs. That was the only hiccup - with all this fake-licences hoo-haa they wanted only original docs; which is obviously ridiculous - which thankfully the wife managed to point out - make sure you get some sort of certified true copies if you're going the same route.

Wiz, When did this Part 64 come into operation?
The doctor that issues my medical was of a totally different opinion as to the validity dates. I recall this because I asked him.

If I am wrong on this, then so be it. However the Institute was awere of this discrepancy and did not inform me of it.

From the Star 7/9/2000
I spoke to the investigating officer who says the investigation is proceeding smoothly and that the parties involved could be 'in a lot of trouble.'

Trevor Abrahams applied to appear in the CCU court shortly after the IRP findings were made public. On the day he was to be heard he withdrew his application and declined the prosecutor's request to submit to cross-examination. Reports are that the court reprimanded him for wasting the taxpayers money although it's unclear if the court was only refering to this incident.