Top SAPS brass in court for corruption, fraud, money laundering

South African Police Service

Top SAPS brass in court for corruption, fraud, money laundering
Top SAPS brass in court for corruption, fraud, money laundering

The National Commissioner of Police, General Khehla John Sitole has commended the thorough investigation by the SAPS Detective Service Anti Corruption Unit that led to the arrest of four senior managers in the police. The four appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court facing charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering and contravention of Section 20 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 12 of 2004.

It is alleged that the accused were involved in corrupt activities that resulted in the State being defrauded of R50 000 in June 2017. The Anti Corruption Unit was alerted of the activities and initiated an investigation. Upon completion of investigations, the docket was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision.

The four were then charged as follows, Major General Pat Mokhushane aged 58, and Brigadier Manana Leonora Phetlhe 43, were charged with fraud, corruption and money laundering. Brigadier Tiyani Lincoln Hlungwani 30, is facing a charge of fraud, while Lieutenant Colonel Zandile Mokhushane 39, Major General Mokhushane’s wife was charged with money laundering and contravention of Section 20 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 12 of 2004.

Warrants of arrest were obtained and on the evening of 14 June 2018, Phetlhe and Hlungwani were arrested while the Mokhushanes handed themselves in at Brooklyn Police Station this morning. They have since appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court today. They were granted R5000 bail each, with conditions that they must not interfere or intimidate state witnesses as well as the investigating officer of this case. Their case was postponed to the 27 of July 2018.

The National Commissioner has welcomed the arrest as it is evidence that the Anti Corruption Unit is reaping successes.

“I am pleased with the tenacity with which the Unit has handled this case. As much as it is disheartening to see seasoned senior managers of the Service being arrested, I am happy to also see that they are being arrested by their colleagues which shows our commitment to ridding the SAPS of corrupt individual members,” said General Sitole.

South Africa Today – South Africa News

SOURCESouth African Police Service