Traffic Officers arrested by Hawks for Bribery and Corruption

The National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit and the Hawks have arrested two traffic officers on allegations of R5000 bribery.

The two allegedly stopped a truck on R101 last Tuesday and impounded it for unspecified reasons. They demanded a payment of R5000 for the release of the vehicle.

An arrangement was made for the money to be delivered to the suspects at Makapanstad traffic offices.

The incident was reported to members of NTACU who then set up a sting operation with the assistance of the Hawks. The suspects were arrested soon after receiving the money and have been held at Makapanstad police station. They are scheduled to appear at the Temba magistrate court on Monday.

Meanwhile two administration clerks at Lekwa licensing authority in Standerton, Mpumalanga have been dismissed following an internal disciplinary hearing that found them guilty of gross dishonesty and fraud.

Ms. Sandy Freddah Manana and Ms. Llody Mildred Townsend were dismissed for misrepresenting information on the eNatis system by unlawfully changing particulars of vehicle owner to a bogus dealership to evade payment of full licensing fees that were due to the licensing authority.
 
The state lost an estimated R4 million in revenue of these transactions. It is however believed that fraud and corruption at Lekwa licensing authority cost the state more than R50 million in unpaid fees and penalties.

The two are still on trial at Middelburg magistrate on similar charges. They are part of eight officials that were arrested at the licensing authority in August last year. They are expected to appear in court on 11 December.