A 28-year-old man, who is an intern at the department of transport in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, is set to appear before the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Thursday, facing charges of corruption.
Provincial police spokesperson in Limpopo, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the intern was arrested on Wednesday.
“On Tuesday, the provincial anti-corruption unit in Limpopo received a complaint about an individual allegedly soliciting money from victims by falsely promising them employment as traffic officers,” said Mashaba.
“The suspect was reportedly demanding gratification of R6,500 per person in exchange for securing them a job.”
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The case was reported to the Limpopo provincial anti-corruption unit for further investigation. An enquiry docket was registered on the same day.
“A sting operation was activated in the Thohoyandou policing area. During the operation, the suspect arrived at the designated location where he met with the victims and demanded payment,” said Mashaba.
“Upon receiving the money, the police team immediately approached and arrested him. An amount of R2,000 was recovered from his possession at the time of the arrest.”
The suspect was then detained at SAPS Thohoyandou.
The case is being investigated by the provincial anti-corruption unit in collaboration with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, in Musina.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has commended the multi-disciplinary teams for acting swiftly to arrest the 28-year-old man.
“The arrest of this suspect serves as a strong warning that corruption within the ranks of law enforcement will not be tolerated. We commend the detectives for putting a stop on corruption in all its manifestations,” she said.
Police have urged community members across Limpopo to report all elements of corruption.
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