Image:A woman who allegedly smuggled a 12-year-old pupil from Lesotho into SA has appeared in court on a charge of kidnapping.“The boy, still dressed in school uniform, was spotted by a Lesotho motorist who approached Ramona. She could not explain the reason for the boy being in her company. The police were contacted, which consequently led to her arrest,” Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Lynda Steyn said.
He was taken to a place of safety and the case was referred to the Bloemfontein Serious Organised Crime Investigation team. A day after the arrest, a 56-year-old man allegedly contacted a Hawks investigator and offered to pay for the charges against Ramona to be dropped. An intermediary, with another woman, then contacted the investigating officer and handed over R2,000. Both women were arrested with the man who made the initial offer.