The Acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Obed Ngwenya has greatly welcomed the arrest of four traffic officials and two police officers on Friday, 21 June 2019 by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation in collaboration with the National Traffic Anti–Corruption Unit.
Three suspects, Khethiwe Mkhabela (42), Lucky Mabena (37) both traffic officials and David Mahlare Ntuli (34) a police officer were arrested in Malelane and appeared before the Komatipoort Magistrates’ Court the same day for alleged corruption. They were granted R1000-00 bail each and they will appear at the same court on 12 July 2019 pending further investigations.
Three other suspects, two traffic officials and a police sergeant, who were also picked up later of Friday, will appear in Middelburg and Belfast Magistrates’ Courts respectively on Monday, 24 June 2019.
It is alleged that since April this year, the suspects solicited bribes from the motorists along N4, between Komatipoort and Middleburg. The Hawks together with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) cooperated in gathering evidence against the suspects.
It was established during a two month investigation that the suspects were operating with impunity demanding bribes from unsuspecting tourists failure of which they would be arrested.
Brigadier Ngwenya has warned other law enforcers to refrain from engaging in any criminal activities. He said the Hawks will not tolerate any unethical behaviour or corrupt members within its ranks in Mpumalanga.
“Corruption undermines the rule of law. We are determined to fight corruption wherever and whenever it manifests. We hope the arrest of six members would send a strong message to colleagues that corruption would not be tolerated,” Brigadier Ngwenya said. More arrests are imminent.
