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THE STAR
Gabriel Sequeira is welcomed by his wife Carla and their children at the airport. Picture: Steve Lawrence
A Joburg man received a jubilant welcome at the OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning as he arrived home from a month-long nightmare ordeal that cost his family R200 000.
Gabriel Sequeira was finally united with his family weeks after their 10-day holiday in Phuket, Thailand turned sour.
Sequeira was arrested on charges of being in possession of fake dollars, had his passport confiscated for a month and had to frequently pay out sums of money to the police and lawyers to apparently finance the “case” against him.
As Sequeira faced uncertainty in Phuket, his distraught family and friends in South Africa kept depositing money into his credit card. At the same time the police kept taking it and demanding more.
A month and R180 000 later, the family pleaded poverty. They deposited their last R20 000 and the 43-year-old man was able to leave and head for South Africa after finally being given his passport in a barter agreement.
This morning the group of people who had helped secure Sequeira’s release through financial contributions and support gathered at OR Tambo under a banner proclaiming “Gabs we love you”.
Sequeira’s wife’s Carla was the first to go to him, and hugged and kissed him in the arrivals terminal.
Sequeira then embraced his 9-year-old daughter Alexis and 13-year-old son Steven. His 12-year-old son Marco was away on a school camp and unable to meet his dad.
The family’s nightmare began on the last day of their holiday.
They were about to check out of their hotel when Sequeira crossed the road to exchange $1 000 (R7 800) at the bank in order to settle his hotel bill. However, police arrested him on a charge of being in possession of alleged fake dollars.
The couple was confused because they had bought the dollars at Rennies Travel in Bedfordview, and had exchanged them throughout their stay without a problem.
They believe they were targeted because Sequeira was exchanging a large amount and police had identified him as a rich individual.
His passport and remaining dollars were confiscated and he was taken to the police holding cells where Carla was sickened by what she saw when she went to visit him.
“He was in a tiny cell the size of a toilet cubicle with about 10 other foreign men. There was a dip in the centre where they could relieve themselves and there was a guy on the floor eating food,” she said.
“Gabriel was holding onto the bars and said ‘try and get me out of here’,” she said. to me
While still in the cell a police officer brought a statement written in Thai for Sequeira to sign. He refused as he didn’t understand the document. But a New Zealander introduced to him as a tourism police officer and one of the few officials who could speak English, told him it was safe to sign the document as it was “just a formality”.
Unbeknown to Sequeira, by signing the statement he was acknowledging guilt.
He was released on R75 000 bail, but not given his passport. His children returned to South Africa on their own while Carla remained in Thailand.
Sequeira’s friend and brother flew to Phuket to try to secure his release, and although they paid money, the authorities refused to budge. A document from Rennies Travel proving that the dollars were genuine, a copy of which has been seen by The Star, was also disregarded. Efforts to seek help from both the South African and Portuguese embassies failed because Sequeira was no longer in custody, he had signed an admission of guilt and the police insisted that the matter was under control.
Disheartened, Sequeira’s supporters returned to South Africa. At some point the authorities demanded more money to take the dollars to Bangkok for forensic investigation – costs of which the family had to cover.
“Basically I had to buy my way out,” Sequeira said this morning.
It was only on Wednesday, after Sequeira was given his passport to withdraw the last R20 000, that he managed to leave the country.
He paid a fine for overstaying his visa and was free to leave with no pending criminal action against him on record.
Spokesman for International Relations Clayson Monyela advised that South Africans visiting foreign countries make the high commission or embassy their first port of call. This, he said, was to make sure they are registered as visitors and given advice for that particular country. Should they run into trouble, someone will then be able to come to their assistance quickly. - The Star
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Adrian Grieve, wrote
Chillipeppa ... you are allowed to use another passport to enter or leave another country. But ALL SA citizens (not just ones born in SA) are required to used their SA passport to enter and leave SA. That law about using other passports to enter and leave other countries was changed some time ago.
Frazier, wrote
To "anonymous" who wrote at 9.20 am and turned that poor mans experience into a racist event , be ashamed. Every country has its crooked cops; we certainly have our share. Keep your ugly comments to yourself.
Anonymous, wrote
What police station was involved - anyone know?
judy, wrote
Do South African banks STILL not have the system where you can use a regular atm card in other countries, to withdraw cash in the local currency? Buying foreign exchange (or travellers cheques) from travel agencies is so archaic.
saj, wrote
@All blacks supporter. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN. Not even in a bag! We don't need wimps like you here. By all means stay in boring Oz. Why are you still commenting and reading about South Africa and her people?
bekkie, wrote
Why did he pay a cent. I would have sat in that jail indefinitly, until prooved innocent. I would also not sign a document that is in a foreign language I do not understand until it is transcribed into english. This matter should be investigated and that money found and returned.
Anonymous, wrote
I have been going to Thailand every year for six years now and have had no trouble. But like traveling to any foreign country you do need to be careful.
Gaina, wrote
Lets scream racism!!
Chillipeppa, wrote
I just looked up the website to see if there is a South African consul in Phuket, but the only Embassy in Bangkok. So according to Clayson Monyela's dum comment that ALL South Africans visiting Phuket should catch a quick flight to Bangkok (like going from Durban to Joburg) register with the SA Embassy and then catch a flight back to Phuket to resume one's vacation. And if we dont do this, we cannot expect any help from the authorities, who by the way live on OUR tax money that we have all paid. There should be a full investigation as to why no one from the Embassy came to help an innocent victim.
ratcatcher, wrote
Please pass on to your readers that Phuket and many resort islands in Thailand are scamming innocent tourists every day.The Tourism Authority of Thailand needs to wake up to this and soon. My best regards to the family of Mr Sequeira. Warn everyone. Thailand L.O.S. Land Of Scams. And I live here.
Anonymous, wrote
I am very suspicious of the dollars given by Foreign Exchange here in South Afica. I had the unfortunate experience last year where a foreign bank refused to accept some of my US$. I didnt quite understand why but the bank just refused to accept them for exchange as something was wrong with them!
ratcatcher, wrote
Please pass on to your readers that Phuket and many resort islands in Thailand are scamming innocent tourists every day.The Tourism Authority of Thailand needs to wake up to this and soon. My best regards to the family of Mr Sequeira. Warn everyone. Thailand L.O.S. Land Of Scams. And I live here.
Chillipeppa, wrote
Some gravy trainer at the South African Embassy was probably "too busy attending functions" to actually bother with trivia like attending to some poor ZA citizen being railroaded into submission. Lets face it South Africans get zero assistance from their Embassies when they travel or are in any form of need. I have had 10 years of 1st hand experience at this since I was forced to apply for a South African passport as i was born here. (South Africans born in SA are not permitted to enter or leave on any other passport they may possess regardless of the reason)
Willy Cape Town!, wrote
When you land in Thailand, and your first encounter with Airport Security, is that they are extremely stern faced! and you immediately wonder if you are really in "the land of the smiling people" Once outside, you can see the true smiles and have a fantastic and memorable holiday amongst the most beautifull people in the world!!
JR, wrote
Where was the South African embassy??? The same place they always are when there is a white non-ANC criminal in jail - NOWHERE lazy bunch. He shoudl sue the Thai government as this was obviously as case of extortion and abduction.
Anon, wrote
Yes, you go ahead and change your arrangements if you have fake dollars...what ever happened to paying with a credit card, which he had?
Anonymous, wrote
Thanks Helen. I guess that should settle it then for a few agents blogging here.
Helen, wrote
The SA Ambassador to Thailand is Douglas Gibson (former chief whip of the DA).
James, wrote
In light of this i guess I too will not be traveling to thailand. Boycott them best way of obtaining semblence of Justice...
Josh, wrote
This'll be my third year in a row going to Thailand! Every year is better than the next. You hear about these sort of incidents and hope they never happen to you. I think it also happens in other countries. Can't blame thailand is a whole...beautiful country and people!
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