First case of poultry arrests heads into May for further investigations
THE JOHANNESBURG Magistrate’s Court has postponed to May 20 the case of three suspects arrested in late January for illegal possession of about 27 000 tons of poultry from an unconfirmed destination that was destined for sale in the local market.
The matter highlighted concerns of the local poultry industry after the suspects attempted to bribe arresting officers with an amount of R800 000, which raised questions about the value of the illegal industry.
The court has postponed the matter for further investigations as organisations, including Fairplay, asked: “Who were the people arrested? Were the alleged suspects chicken importers, or had they bought the consignments from another party? Where had the poultry come from and where was it being sent to? Are further arrests expected?”
Police said at the time they had followed up on intelligence information about people who were diverting goods to avoid paying customs duties and VAT.
The information led the police to a storage facility in City Deep where a consignment of poultry meat weighing 27 000kg was found loaded in a truck.
The two men were arrested for contravention of the Customs and Excise Act, fraud and corruption.
One of the suspects initiated a bribe of R800 000 to members in order to evade arrest. The woman who brought the cash was also arrested for corruption.
Upon further investigation, the police were led to another company also suspected of defrauding the SA Revenue Service.
Upon searching the premises, four containers containing imported poultry meat were recovered and the owner could not produce legal papers.
Suspects Nicolas and Nelita Correira were granted R50 000 bail, while George Buco was given R20 000 bail.
An additional charge of corruption relates to an offer of a R800 000 bribe the suspects made to the police after another consignment of four shipping containers of the illegally imported poultry meat products was uncovered.
Illegal dumping of poultry is a major stumbling block to the development of the local industry besieged by the dumping of chicken from at least nine countries.
The arrests came on the heels of the International Trade Administration Commission in December initiating provisional anti-dumping duties ranging from 80 to 256 percent on specific chicken cuts originating from Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain.