UPDATE - 95 Libyan nationals appear in South African court on charges of violating immigration act

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE, INCLUDES NEW INFORMATION ON COURT APPERANCE

By Hassan Isilow

Ninety-five Libyan nationals arrested last week made their first appearance Monday at a court in South Africa on charges of violating the country’s immigration act.

The case was postponed to next Monday so the White River Magistrates Court in Mpumalanga can get an Arabic language interpreter.

The Libyans were apprehended last Friday during a police raid on a suspected "secret military camp" in White River, a holiday town in Mpumalanga.

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

They were charged with making misrepresentations in their applications for visas.

The Home Affairs Department cancelled their visas on Saturday, saying they obtained them irregularly in Tunisia through misrepresentation and were considering their deportation as one of the options.

The Libyans are said to have entered South Africa in April on study permits to become security guards but instead allegedly received military training. They were scheduled to return home in December.

It is not yet known who sent the Libyans to study in South Africa.