National Commissioner Riah Phiyega welcomes conviction of two men for attempting to bribe station head
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Riah Phiyega, has welcomed the conviction of two men by the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for attempting to bribe the station commander of Diepsloot police station, north of Johannesburg.
The two men were caught by the anti-corruption investigators early last month, 2 September 2014 in Col Balatse’s office immediately after they handed five thousand rand to the colonel. The money was meant to be shared with his fellow officers who were involved in the facilitation of a dispute involving a local church. In return the station commander and his subordinates were supposed to take sides.
In congratulating the station commander, Colonel Amos Balatse, and the investigators from Gauteng anti-corruption unit for the job well done, General Phiyega said: “This conviction will go a long way in clearly illustrating the fact that we have men and women in blue whose chief motivation for being in the SAPS is to serve.”
“Of course the popular narrative in South Africa is of the police officers accepting bribes while those doing the bribery usually get away with it. It is a two way street and we are committed to deal decisively with the briber and the one accepting the bribe,” General Phiyega said.
“I am certain that the 12 months prison sentence or the R5 thousand rand fine imposed on criminals will serve as a strong warning to any person with corrupt tendencies that our police officers are not up for sale,” she said.
Media enquiries:
Lieutenant General SM Makgale
Head: Corporate Communication
Cell: 082 781 8863
Tel: 012 393 2940/2630
E-mail: solomon.makgale@saps.gov.za
