Former Limpopo Hawks constable sentenced to 14 years in jail for corruption
The ex-official was found guilty of three counts of corruption by the Mokopane Regional Court
LIMPOPO – Former Hawks’ constable Papi Jonathan Lebese(41), was convicted on three counts of corruption and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by Mokopane Regional Court on 22 October 2018.
“Between April 2014 and February 2015 Lebese, who was then attached to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit in Limpopo, was investigating a case of fraud and he demanded a R65 000 bribe from an accused in order not to oppose bail. This money was paid to the Lebese on different dates… the matter was reported to the Hawks and Lebese was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit after investigations positively linked him to the crime,” Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke explained.
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Lebese was initially granted bail but this was later revoked as he didn’t attend court on a scheduled date, he subsequently made a series of court appearances until he was convicted and sentenced on three counts of corruption.
On count 1 & 2 he was sentenced to a total of 8 years direct imprisonment, on count 3 he was sentenced to 6 years direct imprisonment. These sentences are to run concurrently, he added.
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The National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya welcomed the sentence. “It is expected of members of the DPCI to be beyond reproach at all times. We hope this sentence will serve to remind those that are within our ranks and are intent on committing crime that there is nowhere in the Directorate for them to hide” Lieutenant General Lebeya concluded.
