The arrest of a 35-year-old man in a sting operation following the refusal of a traffic officer to accept a bribe on offer is encouraging as it attests that most members of the North West Road Traffic Management Unit are incorruptible, Provincial MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison, Ms Desbo Mohono said on Friday.
The suspect was arrested at around 11h15 am in Marikana after a traffic officer reported that he was being offered a bribe to release a vehicle he had impounded. A trap was then set up with the police to arrest him while handing over the R900 he had offered to pay the officer.
The man had allegedly earlier in the week on Monday fled on foot and left a Toyota Conquest he was driving from Buffelspoort outside Rustenburg to Wonderkop after the officer discovered that he was driving a vehicle with a forged licensed disc and without a driver license.
The arrested suspect is the second to be arrested for attempting to bribe a traffic officer in the past two weeks and in both instances members of the North West Road Traffic Management Unit attached to Bojanala Platinum District had declined the offers and instead pressed corruption charges.
He will remain in police custody over the weekend and is expected to appear in the Rustenburg Magistrates Court on Monday to answer to charges of bribery, driving a vehicle with a forged licensed disc and driving a vehicle without a license.
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 391 0420
Fax:018 381 0328
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: Lkgwele@nwpg.gov.za
