Corrupt City Power employee sentenced
ALEXANDRA – Corrupt city power officer gets two sentences.
A former employee of City Power was sentenced by Alex Magistrates’ Court on 7 May.
She received a 24-month prison sentence with the option to pay an R8 000 fine after she pleaded guilty to corruption. This after she solicited a bribe of R1 500, which was recovered from her when she was arrested. She had earlier been sentenced to seven years at the same hearing, also for corruption, which was suspended for five years. It involved a bribe of R1 800 she received days earlier.
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Zamokuhle Noswana of Klipfontein, who was arrested in September last year and granted bail of R5 000, appeared before Magistrate Renier Boshoff assisted by state prosecutor Lufuno Maphiri.
The offences occurred at a housing complex in Noordwyk, Midrand.
She went to the first victim’s house with the intention of disconnecting the power due to an outstanding bill. The victim showed her a payment of R24 000 that had been made against a total of R52 000 owed and attested to an arrangement made to pay the balance of R28 000. However, Noswana threatened to disconnect the meter if the victim didn’t pay a bribe of R1 800. R1 400 was eventually paid.
As she was leaving, Noswana noticed that the victim shared a meter with a neighbour. She then threatened to disconnect the meter if the neighbour didn’t also pay a bribe of R1 500 to avoid an investigation into the anomaly.
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The victim agreed to pay, but only the next day.
A sting was set up, and when the accused returned to the complex as planned, she was arrested after she failed to account for the marked banknotes found in her possession. The notes formed part of the evidence in court.
