Two officers at Australian embassy in South Africa `are sacked amid investigation into cash-for-visa scam`

Source: Daily Mail Australia, 22/05/2018

• An alleged visa scam was operating from the Australian
embassy in South Africa
• Two Immigration Department officials have been fired after an
investigation
• It`s alleged that they were being bribed to give Nigerian
citizens student visas
• The probe found that at least 21 students had been given the
shonky visas
Two officials at an Australia embassy in South Africa have reportedly
been sacked amid a probe into allegations Nigerian nationals paid
bribes for visas.
At least 21 Nigerians received Australian student visas, which a high-
level investigation said were `tainted by the corrupt conduct of the
department officers`, according to The Herald Sun.
The two Australian High Commission officials were fired after a joint
investigation by the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement
Integrity (ACLEI) and the Immigration Department, the publication
reported.
An alleged visa scam was operating from the Australian embassy in
South Africa (pictured)
The alleged scam involved criminals paying corrupt officials for
Australian visas for Nigerian nationals.
Officials were accused of bypassing mandatory checks and granting
visas within days to people deemed by Australia as high-risk.
The 21 visas were processed between February and April last year,
according to a recent Administrative Appeals Tribunal document.
They were `identified by the department as being tainted by the
corrupt conduct of the department officers,` the AAT decision read.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and a delegate for Home Affairs
cancelled the visa of one Nigerian student because they believed it
to be fraudulent but the ruling was overturned
As part of the tribunal, a report was provided which analysed 13
applications of Nigerian students that were approved by the allegedly
corrupt officers.
One student, who is suspected of entering on a dodgy visa, was told
by a delegate for Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton
that her visa would be cancelled.
But Ogochukwu Concilia Odinkaeze narrowly avoided deportation after
AAT deputy president Jan Redfern and AAT member Dr Colin Huntly
overturned the decision to cancel her visa.
Mr Dutton`s delegate said that an investigation into the
circumstances surrounding the granting of Ms Odinkaeze`s visa had
been conducted.
They stated that Ms Odinkaeze did not know she was in Australia on an
shonky visa.
`I have considered Ms Odinkaeze`s claims that she is unaware of such
fraudulent conduct and applied for the visa on her own merits,` the
delegate said in a statement.
Two Immigration Department officials have been fired as a result of
the investigation
`The evidence that the ground for cancellation exists was provided by
reliable verifiable sources.`
The delegate also told the tribunal that had she applied through the
appropriate channels her visa `would not have been granted.`
`Relevantly, Ms Odinkaeze is not the subject of this analyse but her
application is one of 21 Nigerian student applications processed in
the period of February, March and April 2017 that was identified by
the department as being tainted by the corrupt conduct of the
department officers,` the AAT decision said.