Cape Town – The fallout at the Al-Noor Orphanage
home in Woodstock continued following the second arrest of a senior staff
member on charges of assault, sexual
assault and sexual grooming of a child.
Police confirmed that the 26-year-old suspect appeared at the Cape Town Magistrate's Court where he was released on bail yesterday.
“A 26-year-old suspect has been arrested this morning on two charges of assault to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), sexual assault and sexual grooming of a child. He also appeared in the court today,” said police spokesperson FC van Wyk.
The matter was postponed to September 27 for further investigation.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) spokesperson Esther Lewis said: “The department welcomes the fact that another staff member at Al-Noor Orphanage has been criminally charged and is due to appear in court.”
The orphanage was at the centre of controversy and has subsequently been de-registered following the arrest of its manager Amina Okpara on charges of fraud and corruption. At the time, the Hawks had said the charges related to donor funds that were redirected to a personal account and used for personal gain. These funds were meant for the operation of the centre.
Last week three more charges relating to the Contravention of Immigration Act and conspiracy to commit fraud were added when Okpara appeared for her bail application.
A total of 17 children were removed last month after the DSD was alerted to serious allegations of sexual and physical abuse and conducted a preliminary investigation.
“The children were all placed in alternative places of safety. Al-Noor Orphanage’s conditional registration was also revoked shortly after the removal of the children. The department will closely monitor developments in this case,” Lewis added.
Okpara had indicated she would plead not guilty to all charges against her. The state wants her to be denied bail as they believe she is a flight risk who “at the first opportunity on her release, would flee the country.”
According to the state, there was evidence that Okpara’s husband, Shadrach, currently in Nigeria, looking after his ill mother, had called her “to make plans to leave the country” after she was arrested.
The state had also indicated that the Hawks had been investigating Okpara since 2012 for alleged bad business practices as well as contravening the Immigration Act.
According to the state, Okpara was currently also building two homes in Nigeria and said her being granted bail would allow her to evade trial.
Despite Al-Noor staff being handed an eviction notice by the City last month, an employee still on the premises told the Cape Times yesterday they were in the process of trying to re-register and were unaware of the second arrest.
Al-Noor employee Gadija Peter said: “We welcome the investigation. The case is still on, Amina is going to court tomorrow (today) for bail and she is innocent until proven guilty.
“I am here at the centre to make sure it is not vandalised because the building is abandoned, the staff are waiting for the outcome of these procedures before they come back to work.
“This situation is very sad.
"The centre is the core of the Cape Town community, supporting children from all over, all staying in one centre living together as children of one mother.
“The children were crying when they were taken from this centre.
"The allegations did not happen in the centre. It wouldn’t have been allowed," she said.
"There are always child carers, social workers and volunteers around and the children sleep as a group.”
Peter added that they also ran other projects on the premises.