Police ‘blue lights’ corruption case postponed till March

The police “blue lights” corruption case involving former acting national police commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, and other accused has been postponed till 11 March 2022.

Six years coming

The case relates to a multimillion-Rand tender to supply emergency warning equipment for the South African Police Service (SAPS) back in 2016.

The Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court on Thursday deferred the matter, due to the unavailability of one of the accused’s legal counsel.

The case is expected to proceed next month for the court to hear arguments over the alleged unreasonable delay of the trial, after Phahlane and former deputy police commissioner, Bonang Mgwenya, lodged an application complaining about delays in the case.

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The accused are Phahlane, Mgwenya, former Gauteng police commissioner, Deliwe de Lange, Gauteng deputy police commissioner Nombhuruza Lettie Napo, Lieutenant General Ramahlapi, retired divisional commissioner Johannes Mokwena, Brigadier James Ramanjalum, Colonel Thomas Dumas Marima and Seargent Maetapese Joseph Mulaiwa.

The civilians indicted in the matter are Judy Rose, Samantha Andrews, and Vimpie Manthatha, the owner of Instrumentation for Traffic Law enforcement (Pty) Ltd.

Multiple charges

The group faces charges of corruption, fraud, theft, and money laundering in connection with the multimillion-Rand tender which Manthata’s company was awarded to fit emergency lights to police vehicles.

According to the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID), the contract was worth R191 million, however, R65 million was paid to the service provider.

A further payment of R22 million was stopped as a result of the investigation into the matter by the ID and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

“This case falls within the ID’s security sector investigations, due to the exposure of the capture of the procurement system at the highest levels of Saps at the time.

“Five other matters have since been enrolled related to how service providers benefited illegally from contracts within the police,” said ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka in a statement.

Seboka said more matters related to corruption in Saps procurement processes would be enrolled in the near future.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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