17 test officials arrested on corruption charges in Polokwane, granted bail
The officials were arrested during a raid on two vehicle testing stations in the city last Thursday as part of Operation Corolla.
POLOKWANE – 17 officials from the Nirvana Vehicle Testing Station and the Polokwane Private Vehicle Testing Station, who were arrested last Thursday, appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate Court last week.
This, after their arrest during Operation Corolla, which was conducted by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the Special Investigative Unit (SIU).
Read more: UPDATE: 17 arrested as Hawks raid Polokwane testing stations
When the team arrived at the testing stations, they caught some of the officials in the process of burning and destroying evidence. Some of the documents were found hidden in their private vehicles on the premises. Vehicle testing stations’ owners, managers, examiners and administration clerks are among those who were apprehended. The accused are alleged to have used the identity particulars of unsuspecting individuals to issue roadworthy certificates for scores of vehicles that were never brought to the station for physical examination.
Provincial Hawks Spokesperson, Captain Matimba Maluleke says the officials all appeared on charges of fraud and contravention of the National Road Traffic Act and were each granted R500 bail.
Operation Corolla was initiated to combat fraudulent issuing of roadworthy certificates in the province and the 17 arrests in Polokwane brought the total number of arrests at testing stations to 31 people. Four officials arrested at a Lephalale test station have since appeared in the Lephalale Magistrate’s Court this week and were remanded in custody for further bail application while in Marble Hall, the 36-year-old owner of the testing station was granted R5 000 bail and eight accused were granted R2 000 bail each. A tenth accused was remanded in custody due to previous cases against him.
Read more: Marble Hall test officials granted bail
Maluleke says the 17 accused will next appear on 27 November. The operation is still ongoing in Limpopo and will be extended to other provinces.
