Polokwane - The concerted efforts by members of the South African Police Service in Limpopo to fight the smuggling and dealing in illicit cigarettes have paid off when the police from Makhado and Tshilwavhusiku confiscated a truck with almost R10 million worth of illicit cigarettes and arrested a 36-year-old SARS Custom official and his two accomplices aged 19 and 64 for corruption and defeating the ends of justice yesterday, on 03 December 2020 at about 03:00.
Makhado Police were performing patrol duties when they noticed a truck driving at a high speed along the N1 road and tried to stop it. The driver sped off and members called back up from Tshilwavhusiku Saps. In the process, Police received information from the Tracking company about a hijacked truck matching the same description, heading towards Tshilwavhusiku area.
Police then started with initial investigations which were soon followed by the manhunt for the suspects involved. Later in the afternoon, the SARS Custom official came to Tshilwavhusiku police station alleging that he was on duty and the truck and the luggage had been cleared at the Beit Bridge border gate. The other suspects also came in and informed the police that they are the owners of the truck. The suspects were apprehended on the spot
Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has commended the members for the recovery of the illicit cigarettes and for acting promptly in arresting the suspects involved.
They will appear in Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate's Court soon facing charges of corruption and defeating the ends of Justice.
The origin and destination of the recovered items will be determined by the ongoing Police investigations.
Limpopo – Non Profit Organisation (NPO), directors aged 40 and 53 have been served with summonses to appear in court by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation following their arrest in Lebowakgomo area during the week.
It is alleged that between 2016 and 2017, the Department of Health in the province erroneously made a payment of R753 520-00 into the account of Itukisetseng Home Based Care in Lebowakgomo.
After the department was audited, it was discovered that there was an erroneous payment made to the NPO. It is further alleged that the Department of Health approached the NPO in attempt to recover its money but there was no cooperation.
Further engagement with the NPO was allegedly made, instead of paying back the money the NPO deposited a fraudulent cheque into the bank account of the department which later bounced.
The matter was reported to the Hawks in December 2019 for investigation and the suspects including a juristic person (Itukisetseng Home Based Care) were eventually arrested and warned to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on 15 December 2020.
Western Cape –Terence John Mouton (40) appeared at the George Magistrate Court for sentencing on a charge of theft on Thursday, 03 December 2020.
Mouton attached to the TJ Mouton attorneys, received R275 209-99 into his trust account for the purchase of fixed property from his client on 24 June 2015. The funds were not payed toward purchasing the property but were instead misappropriated.
He was arrested on 24 October 2019, pleaded guilty on the charge and he was found guilty and sentenced to five (5) years imprisonment wholly suspended for 5 years with stringent conditions.
Magistrate ordered Mouton to pay at least R55 041.99(or more) to the Attorneys fidelity Fund per year until the debt is paid in full. Furthermore, Mouton should do 16 hours of community service per month for the entire duration of the sentence and also was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Western Cape – Mogamat Ganief Mallick (35) and Wayne Carl Meyer (44) appeared at the Vredenburg Regional Court on charges of operating and being part of a syndicate issuing fraudulent roadworthy certificates.
The fraudulent certificates were issued over a period between 2018 and 2019, targeting the Jeffrey’s Bay roadworthy Vehicle Testing station near Port Elizabeth. The Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team acted on information about the syndicate issuing roadworthy certificate for vehicles that were never at the testing station and were not physically examined in exchange for gratification.
The duo was arrested in October 2019, consequently they entered into a plea sentence agreement and were both found guilty by the same court on Tuesday, 01 December 2020.
They were each sentenced to a fine of five thousand rand (R5000-00) with an alternative five (5) years direct imprisonment which was suspended for five years on condition that they will not be convicted on charges of corruption during the period of the suspended sentence.
The duo were not alone, they formed part of the syndicate and investigation is still ongoing for the other role players.
