Babel restaurant manager pays admission of guilt fine
Raui Kobeissi, the manager of Babel restaurant, was released from police custody on Tuesday after paying an R10,000 admission of guilt fine.
Three illegal nationals, Emery Niyomuremyi (35) from Burundi, 34-year-old Amina Lameck from Malawi and Kelechi Maduike (38) from Nigeria, also appeared in the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court.
The trio is accused of contravening the Immigration Act.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says it is alleged that Babel and Ocean Basket restaurants in Menlyn Mall employed the three accused.
"Both Lameck, who is employed as a chef, and Maduike, who is employed as a stock manager, work at Babel, while Niyomuremyi works at Ocean Basket as a delivery man.
"The three were arrested on the evening of 15 September 2024 at the restaurants by the Department of Home Affairs after they conducted a raid at both restaurants.”
Ocean Basket has denied employing any undocumented migrants, claiming Niyomuremyi worked for a delivery service and not the restaurant.
The arrests came after a video was circulated on TikTok by a disgruntled former Babel employee who claimed that the restaurant was violating the Labour Relations Act.
Mahanjana adds that Lameck and Niyomuremyi have been remanded until Thursday and Friday for a formal bail application.
"Maduike’s matter is remanded to 2 October for a formal bail application."
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