A MAN has been arrested for attempting to bribe a member of the Scottburgh Cluster Detective Task Team. The officer was at the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court last Friday morning (January 24), to oppose bail in a housebreaking case he is investigating when he was approached by the accused’s brother. The brother offered the detective R5 000 to not oppose bail so that the accused would be released from police custody. They arranged to meet at midday and the detective immediately reported the matter to his superiors.
Arrangements were made for members of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Anti-corruption Unit from Durban to be present and as arranged, the detective met with the accused’s brother in the parking lot opposite the police station. They both walked up to the Task Team office where the amount of R4 000 changed hands. The suspect, who is a foreign national, explained that he needed the rest of the money in order to be able to return to Gauteng. A pre-arranged signal was given to the anti-corruption unit members who walked in and arrested the suspect. The R4 000 was seized as evidence and the 35-year-old suspect detained in police custody. The man will appear in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court this week.
