FREE STATE – Five traffic officials, three administration clerks, four jockeys, two examiners and one driving school instructor arrested by the Hawks in Bethlehem and Harrismith, are expected to appear in the Bethlehem and Harrismith Magistrate courts on Friday.
The suspects are facing charges of corruption after they were nabbed in an integrated operation by the Serious Corruption Investigation assisted by crime intelligence, Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Tactical Response Team (TRT) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for allegedly issuing fraudulent drivers licenses and roadworthy certificates to motorists in the province.
The Harrismith and Bethlehem Driver’s License Testing Centres (DLTC’s) were a centre of an investigation since 2018 after information surfaced of rampant corruption collectively being committed in loose knitted groups who were allegedly facilitating the issuing of Code B (08), C1 (10) and EC (14) drivers licenses for a payment.
The applicants were allegedly introduced by the driving school instructors to the designated examiners who would be scheduled to carry out the tests. Money would then be paid to the examiners or driving school instructor by the applicant or vice versa. In cases where the money is paid to the driving school instructor, he will then give the money to the examiner. In some instances, everything is arranged with the instructor who acts as a middleman.
It is further alleged that the truck licences (code14) were issued to individuals who were not psychically tested themselves but so called “jockey” was used to do the physical testing on the applicant’s behalf. These corrupt activities continued despite the warning given to the officials, during the awareness campaigns that were held at the DLTC in Bethlehem recently.
In similar reparation conducted in Limpopo, the Hawks managed to arrest four about 54 employees attached to five vehicle testing stations in the province including 10 traffic officials from both Provincial and municipal traffic department. Similar operations where traffic officials were arrested for corruption also took place in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Western Cape and the North West just a name a few.
The National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya has welcomed the arrests.
“I commend the multidisciplinary approach that was involved in this project. The arrests of these individuals will indirectly contribute in the reduction of fatalities on our roads,” said Lieutenant General Lebeya.
Meanwhile, any persons who participated or obtained their licences in such a manner within the Free State, are urged to come forward so that the validity of their licences can be verified, as an audit and verification process will be conducted to verify licences issued by the relevant DLTC officials. These persons should contact Captain Koos Els on 082 854 7509.
Source: South African Police Service