The 49-year-old government official will appear in Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court for 27 for charges of corruption on 14 April 2023. This is subsequent to the arrest of the suspect by Gqeberha Serious Corruption Investigation in an intelligence driven joint operation with Gqeberha Serious Commercial crime Investigation of the Hawks and Gqeberha Crime Intelligence Gathering on 13 April 2023.
It is alleged that the complainant engaged with an alleged sex-worker in Gqeberha in February 2022.
Soon after the incident in February 2022, the complainant received numerous calls from an individual claiming to be a detective from Durban investigating his case of rape and fraud which she said could ruin his life as he would spend the rest of his life incarcerated as he had a warrant of arrest for him.
It is further alleged that an amount of R390500.00 was successfully extorted from the victim which was reportedly deposited into the suspect’s bank account.
The matter was reported to the Hawks for a thorough probe.
During the interaction with the Investigating officer (I/O), the suspect who has been proved to be a State Accountant from the Department of Labour in Pretoria is reported to have offered to pay an amount of R50 000 to have the docket destroyed of which the I/O pretended to play along.
The agreement was on an initial payment of R30 000 which the suspect allegedly agreed to fly to Gqeberha to pay. The remaining R20 000 balance was to be paid at a later stage.
The exchange of money (R30 000) was witnessed by members of the joint operation and the suspect was apprehended by the joint team in Gqeberha airport on 13 April 2023.
The 49-year-old suspect will make her first court appearance in Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court for her plight to be determined. The joint team is lauded by the acting Provincial Head Brigadier Venessa Hastings for the sterling job.
