MBOMBELA – The trial of the former provincial head of the Hawks continued in the Nelspruit Regional Court Wednesday.
Maj Gen Simon Mapyane stands accused of fraud after he allegedly submitted false travel claims in 2010 which apparently amounted to R18 753,63.
He was arrested in May last year and released on bail of R1 000.
On October 31 Mapyane was redeployed to national head office after members of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) embarked on a sit-in at the Hawks’ provincial offices over grievances which included a lack of action taken against Mapyane.
He has been replaced by Maj Gen Yolisa Seothula who now heads the provincial office. Hawks spokesman Capt Paul Ramaloko said the decision for the move was a mutual one between Mapyane and national Hawks head Gen Anwa Dramat.
Wednesday’s trial involved testimony being led regarding Mapanye’s whereabouts on the days for which he allegedly filed false claims. Statements were obtained from Mapyane’s cellular service provider, Vodacom, which revealed his location on days during August and September 2010.
His whereabouts were determined by means of signal towers registering the areas that he was in during the times that he filed the travel claims that have been placed in dispute. No cross-examination has as yet been conducted regarding the contents of these statements. The trial was postponed to March 18 and 19.
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