Investigating Directorate ‘determined’ to re-enroll R85m police vehicle branding corruption case

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA’s) Investigating Directorate (ID) on Thursday said it was determined to re-enroll the R85 million police vehicle branding corruption case.

This was after the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court removed the case from the roll after it refused to give the state a postponement to obtain a racketeering certificate.

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It is alleged that 72 people, including a number of senior police officials, colluded with private businesses to win a police vehicle branding contract. They faced charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering, theft and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act relating to a number of transactions aimed at defrauding SAPS.

ID head advocate Hermione Cronje said the case was a criminal enterprise and her team would bring a request to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Shamila Batohi, for a racketeering certificate. Following that the charges would be re-enrolled.

In legal terms, racketeering refers to a group of people and/or entities who conduct repeated crimes over a period of time. The racketeering certificate would allow the state to draw in a lot more people in the case, as they would be charged together, as opposed to individually.

“We must add that this is an active syndicate and the sophistication of the cover quoting and concealing the manner of operation to defraud the state, will not go unprosecuted,” Cronje said in a statement.

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