An integration of Task Team members comprising the Provincial Anti-Corruption, SIU, Vehicle Crime Investigation and Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) nabbed ten men and women aged between 32 and 65 in the early hours of 3 July 2019, in the area of King Williams Town and Komga on allegations of Fraud.
Among the arrested are two police officers from Kokstad and Steve Vukile Tshwete Police Station respectively.
All the arrests follow after a complaint was received regarding possible illegally imported motor vehicles which were registered and introduced into the Natis, a (National Traffic Information System) through a corrupt practice. Involved in this illegal scheme are suspects who illegally imported vehicles and registered them as built-up with the help of Government Officials from the Department of Transport and SAPS.
These officials are believed to have abused their authority by manipulating the E-natis system by capturing fraudulent documents at Komga Registering Authority. The said documents would then be forwarded to the Help Desk in the Provincial Department of Transport for approval on the E-natis system.
The arrested suspects misrepresented that they bought the vehicles and then entered the Republic. They also misrepresented to the Department of transport and the South African Police Service that they built up South African vehicles and obtained false clearance certificates from SAPS members and false registration documents to the Department of Transport E-Natis system.
They did all this through a corrupt relationship with Government officials.
The suspects will be facing charges ranging from Money Laundering in terms of POCA Act 121 of 1998. Fraud, Forgery and Uttering in Contraventions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977. Contraventions of the Customs and Excise Act 13 of 2002 as well as the National Road Traffic Act, No 93 of 1996.
The Police have a reason to believe that misrepresentations were made to the Department of Transport, the South African Police Service and SARS in order to facilitate the processes of legalizing the said vehicles. All ten suspects are expected to appear in Komga Magistrate Court on Friday the 5th June 2019.
They are all in police custody until the date of their appearance.
“The Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General AP Swart has commended the work of the Integrated Task Team which spent sleepless nights in an attempt to close the net against those involved in corruption. “ We want to reiterate our commitment to root out fraud and corruption in the province. I am particularly happy that the investigation went further to nail even our own members who misrepresented the vision and mission of our organisation” Major General Swart concluded.
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