Three suspects aged between 36 and 42 from Mbombela Municipality Traffic Department and White River Traffic Department have been arrested in connection with fraud, theft, and money laundering amounting to R60 million.
Their arrests on Wednesday follow an investigation into alleged corruption at the department carried out by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), which began in December 2018.
Allegations are that traffic department officials were taking bribes to unlawfully extend expired vehicle licence discs without enforcing related fines.
Suspicions are that the cashiers colluded with the truck fleet owners, who owed large amounts of money for expired licence and fines for late renewals.
Officials allegedly took bribes to manipulate the payment system to extend the expiration dates of the licence discs and re-issue new ones with a zero balance.
The trio joins six other accused, including a former Department of Community Safety staffer – under Section Help Desk, 43-year-old Thembi Millicent Motlohi, 35-year-old Allman Thabani Masuku, 52-year-old Xoliswa Celia Ngcelwane, 44-year-old Nompulelo Winnie Nxumalo, 54-year-old Agnes Nosipho Ndzinisa, and 37-year-old Mbombela Registry authority Nkosinathi Samuel Gumede.
These six accused were arrested by the Hawks Mbombela (Nelspruit)-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in a joint operation with Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit (NTACU), and Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
They were arrested on Monday 18 July 2022 on suspicion of fraud, theft, and Money Laundering
The six accused were released on R15 000 bail each.
They will next appear in court on 29 September 2022 for further investigation.
Arrested suspects in this matter are now nine.
BUST: Three traffic department staffers were arrested Wednesday in connection with R60 million fraud related to licence discs
