A former member of Middelburg Flying Squad was sentenced after he was found guilty of accepting bribes from motorists on the N4 around Wonderfontein.

Eric Ellias Sibanyoni (47) was sentenced on February 17 in Belfast Magistrate’s Court.
He was sentenced to two years imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of fraud, corruption and theft for the duration of the sentence’s suspension.

The unethical activities were brought to light by a tourist who was victimised in 2019.
Four months after the tourist laid the complaint Sibanyoni was arrested following an operation by the Hawks’ Nelspruit based Serious Corruption Investigation, Crime Intelligence, and Road Traffic Management Corporation.

“Investigation proved that Sibanyoni was responsible for intentionally benefiting from unethical behaviour that is contradictory to the South African Police Service’s code of conduct after receiving R100 gratification for looking the other way and not fulfilling his duty,” said Hawks spokesperson Lt Colonel Magonseni Nkosi.

The Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, commended the team work displayed by different law enforcement agencies, “We will not allow criminal elements to infiltrate and shame hard-working honest members. Such individuals do not qualify to remain as members and tarnish the reputation of the South African Police Service.”

He was expecting that the convict would receive a direct custodial sentence in order to send a clear message to potential corrupters or corruptees.

“However, the discretion of the court is respected,” added the general.

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