S. AFRICA AIRLINE PROBED FOR DRUGS, PROSTITUTION

JOHANNESBURG, May 2 (Reuters) - South Africa's elite Scorpions crime
fighting unit said on Tuesday it was investigating possible drug
trafficking and prostitution by cabin crew at the state airline.

News of the investigation came after weekend reports that crew at
South African Airways (SAA) were suspected of involvement in smuggling
cocaine back home and criminal activity ranging from prostitution to
money laundering.

SAA, 20 percent owned by Swissair, said it had begun hearings on
Tuesday into 92 of its staff who it had suspended after allegations
they had bribed the firm's roster clerks in order to be based for
longer periods overseas.

``We are involved in a wide investigation together with SAA, focusing
on possible drug trafficking and are looking at all the information we
can get,'' Advocate Gerrie Nel, who is involved in Scorpions
investigation, told Reuters.

The Scorpions have wide-ranging powers and spearhead the government's
attempt to crack down on the country's rampant crime rate and growing
reputation as a major conduit point for hard narcotics to the West.

Recruits are trained by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and
Britain's Scotland Yard and are backed by state of the art computer
equipment.

``The investigation is at a sensitive stage at this time. We will have
more information in a month or so,'' said Nel.

Phones of suspected SAA staff had been tapped and staff monitored on
security cameras, newspapers reported.

``We know from telephone conversations that some of our male cabin
attendants are highly sought after...It is an open secret among flight
staff,'' SAA's vice-president of Inflight Services Noedine Isaacs told
the Times Media group.

SAA said its internal hearings would focus on roster-fixing and that
the Scorpions and other police units including the Narcotics Bureau
would be leading a criminal investigation.

``Some staff were benefiting at the expense of other employees. It is
alleged they paid the roster clerks so they could stay, for example,
in Australia and get a daily stipend from SAA,'' said SAA spokesman
Victor Nosi.

Crew paid the clerks to spend time in expenses-paid stopovers in
United States, Europe and South America, papers reported.

No date had been set for the end of the hearings which will involve 92
of SAA's 2,500 crew members, Nosi said.