Evander Magistrate’s Court released a Mpumalanga traffic officer on R1000 bail on October 20.
Lucky Zakhele Mhlabane (43), stationed at the Kinross Weighbridge was nabbed for corruption on October 19 by the Hawks Secunda-based Serious Corruption Investigation team in partnership with Secunda K9 unit.
It is alleged that at about 10:00 that morning, the accused in his official capacity as traffic official, stopped the Evander Sasol filling station truck on the road between Evander and Secunda.
According to the Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala, the accused then asked the truck driver about the truck’s licence disk and the driver explained that he doesn’t know where it is.
He said the last time he checked it was in the truck.
The driver then called his boss to arrange for the licence disk to be brought. The driver waited but the disk was never brought.
The driver explained the situation to Mhlabane who then allegedly told the driver that he will give him a R3 500 ticket fine but if he pays R500 gratification he can be released.
The truck driver again contacted his boss who reported the matter to the Hawks Secunda based Serious Corruption Investigation unit.
A request for authority to conduct entrapment was made and granted.
Copies of the money (R500) were made and given to the driver who then took the money to the accused.
The accused was then arrested and the money was found in the marked traffic vehicle.
The matter was postponed to November 16 for further investigation.
