The Acting Provincial Head of the Hwaks in Gauteng has lauded the sentencing by the Johannesburg Magistrates Court of Ntombesuhlani Sonqisha (45) to seven years and Prenika Munu (39) to a R50 000 fine or five(5) years imprisonment for corruption.
Brigadier Sekemela Lewele said the sentence will serve as a serious deterrent to other government officials that no one is above the law.
It is alleged that the complainant on this case was a suspect on a fraud case which happened in March 2015 where he and four others were arrested for alleged fraud. They allegedly defrauded banks and car dealers by submitting fraudulent IDs, payslips, and addresses when purchasing vehicles and later stopped paying installments.
When the banks threatened to reposes those vehicles, they would subsequently disappear.
The complainant was represented by Munu who was a Legal Aid Attorney and introduced him to Sonqisha a Senior Public Prosecutor, who demanded R7000 to withdraw the case and turn him into a state witness.
The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Unit conducted an entrapment operation in December 2015 and arrested both Munu and Sonqisha in possession of the entrapment money.
Last week Friday, Munu pleaded guilty on corruption charges and was fined R50 000 or five(5) years imprisonment which was suspended on condition that she will not be convicted of any offence as provided for in the provision of the prevention and combating of corrupt activities, Act 12 of 2004 during the suspension period.
Meanwhile, Sonqisha was found guilty on corruption charges and was sentenced to seven years direct imprisonment.
Gauteng Acting Head of the Hawks, Brigadier Sekelema Lewele welcomed the sentence and applauded all members involved on this Investigation.
“No one is above the law in South Africa and we as the Hawks will continue with our mandate to serve everyone in the country without fear or favor,” Brigadier Lewele added.
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