Graft accused top cop gets bail of R20k

The South African Police Service’s deputy national commissioner for human resource management, Lieutenant-General Bonang Mgwenya, has been has been released on bail, after being charged with corruption, fraud and money laundering.

The charges against her are in connection with a dodgy R86 million contract to kit cop cars out with blue lights, sirens and radios that she allegedly helped push through back in 2016. She is said to have scored almost R500 000 worth of kickbacks in exchange.

The Investigating Directorate (ID) pounced on Mgwenya early on Monday morning. She was out jogging when they descended on her home and she returned to a convoy of cop cars.

She appeared in the dock several hours later, dressed in a stylish black suit and wearing a gold buff, with a matching watch and earrings. Members of the media who were in court greeted Mgwenya but she ignored them.

The state did not oppose her bail application, which ended up being set at R20 000.

Mgwenya is due back in court next month when she will be joined by more than a dozen more accused in the case – among them former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane.

The remainder are, in the main, made up of other police officers but local businessman Vimpie Manthatha – whose company, Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, was awarded the tender – and two of Manthatha’s employees have also been charged.

The spokesperson for the ID, Sindisiwe Twala, said on Monday the tender in question had been valued at a total of R191 million and that R65 million of that had already been paid over by the time the authorities stepped in.

Twala said the police officers who had been charged in connection with the award of the tender, had “completely ignored the competitive bidding process”. This, she went on, in exchange for various benefits.

Manthatha apparently won Mgwenya over by putting R440 000 of his own money towards the purchase of a BMW X5 for her. In an affidavit deposed to in support of bail, Mgwenya said on Monday that the police had since seized the vehicle.

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