‘Liban military training camp’ case postponed for a week

Muhammad Amin

Ninety five Libyan men arrested Friday at an alleged terror training camp have appeared in the White River Magistrate’s Court where their case was postponed for further investigation.

Prosecutors say more charges beside the one of entering the country illegally may be brought, depending on what the investigations reveal.

“At this point, the prosecution has decided to prosecute all 95 Libyans on a charge of misrepresentation in their visa applications,” Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman, Monica Nyuswa, told reporters.

“When they appear today, they will be charged, and the matter will be postponed for further investigation,” she said.

The Libyans were apprehended Friday during a police raid on facility in White River. The presence of trenches and an underground bunker indicated the men were receiving more than just security guard training – as the claimed in their visa entry applications.

The camp contained military training equipment and drugs, police claimed.

The Home Affairs Department cancelled the Libyan nationals’ visas on Saturday, saying they obtained the visas irregularly in Tunisia. Deportation is one of the options under consideration, Nyuswa said.

The case was postponed to next Monday so the court could get an Arabic language interpreter.