The Hawks in the North West have arrest a 57 year old senior municipality official in Vryburg, North West on a charge of corruption. The suspect was arrested during a controlled entrapment at a supermarket in Vryburg.
In February last year, a tender for the renovation of Mophirima District Municipality offices was advertised. A contractor was appointed months later and began to work on renovations. It was after he was paid the first amount in September 2010, of R412 thousand for his work that the contractor started receiving calls demanding money from a municipal official. The senior official also sits in the bidding committee.
Just before Christmas, the official told the contractor that he needed money to go on holiday in Cape Town. After stalling, the contractor eventually paid an amount of R1 500 through a supermarket on 24 December 2010. By then the official had already left for Cape Town. On his return, the official continued to demand cash. The contractor decided to report him to the Hawks.
An operation was set up for 31 December 2010. The two parties agreed to meet at a supermarket in Vryburg where the official was going to receive a R20 thousand bribe. The official had allegedly threatened the contractor that he was not going to authorise future payments or award his company with any more work if the bribe was not paid out. The official is the manager of corporate services and chairs the bidding committee in the municipality.
It was shortly after the official received the R20 thousand rand bribe that members of the Hawks pounced on him. The official will appear in the Vryburg Magistrate Court on Monday, 3 January 2011. He will face charges of corruption.
Enquiries:
McIntosh Polela
Cell: 082 475 1427 or 079 563 1625
Source: South African Police Service
