The case against the two Tshwane metro officials who were arrested on Friday for petrol theft is still under investigation.
Noko Mathobela (30) and Samuel Mokobodi (60) who worked at the Department of Electricity, were both arrested at their place of work on Friday after they purchased petrol at a petrol station in Atteridgeville using their work petrol tags.
The two appeared in court on the same day and were released on bail. According to metro police spokesperson Superintendent Isaac Mahamba the metro police, along with Group Risk Audit, have an ongoing operation to curb corruption in the Tshwane metro.
“We received a tip-off about what the two men were doing and we have been following them for a while,” Mahamba explained. He added that they followed the two men to the petrol station in Atteridgeville and then to a house in Lotus Gardens, where the petrol was stored. “The two took the department’s vehicles that use diesel and went and bought petrol. The petrol was stored in two 20l jerrycans,” Mahamba said.
The metro police confronted the two workers before escorting them to the house in Lotus Gardens that was confirmed to belong to one of the workers.“It is yet to be determined through further investigations on how long the men have been doing this and how much petrol they have purchased.” Mahamba emphasised that the reason for the collaboration with Group Risk Audit was to minimise fuel theft and corruption happening in the metro.
“We are not going to rest until the problem is curbed. We will use zero tolerance and arrest the guilty parties. We will continue with this operation,” Mahamba concluded.
