LIMPOPO – Six people, including three driving license officers, were arrested in a joint operation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s national traffic anti-corruption unit and the Hawks.
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According to Simon Zwane, spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation, the arrests followed 18 months of investigation in which undercover operatives, working under ‘Operation Code 14’, identified officers involved in corruption at driving license center.
The Anti-Fraud Corruption Unit of the Limpopo Department of Transport, with the cooperation of the Hawks, confiscated documents at the testing station earlier this month.
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“The investigation led to the arrest of three driving license examiners and three civilian facilitators who allegedly touted on their behalf,” says Zwane.
The officers aged, 46,49 and 55-years-old are set to appear at the Ritavi Magistrate court this week and will be joined in the dock by the civilians (aged between 37 and 57-years-old).
“It is alleged the civilians acted as middlemen, who facilitated the payment of bribes between license applicants and examiners,” Zwane explained.
The arrests marked the culmination of the operation and the testing center was closed as all examiners were arrested, while the other two were being sought.
“Anti-corruption officers have identified corruption and bribery in the issuing of driving documents, as contributing factors behind the country’s high accident rate,” says Zwane.
