Two friends were caught and arrested at the Durbanville Driving Licence Testing Centre when an examiner noticed the person writing the exam was not the man he claimed to be.
According to a statement by Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, the incident occurred on Wednesday 1 March at about 10:00.
Smith says the an examiner at the Durbanville Driving Licence Testing Centre raised the alarm after noticing that one of the people completing the test was not the original applicant.
The centre manager investigated and discovered that the applicant (who was waiting outside) had asked a friend to write the test on his behalf as he has a sight issue and was not adequately prepared to complete the written test himself. The friend also completed the eye test.
The two suspects were arrested on a charge of fraud and detained at the Durbanville Police Station. They appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (2 March) and were released on bail of R2 000 each. The matter was postponed to 10 April to allow for the accused to obtain legal representation.
“While I feel for the applicant, the fact is you cannot do this type of thing. It is illegal but could also have far-reaching consequences down the line when someone who has not been vetted gets behind the wheel of a car. I commend the examiner whose vigilance led to the discovery. She stopped what could have been a potentially dangerous situation,” says Smith.
