A woman allegedly offered the police officer “a substantial amount of money” in a desperate bid to secure freedom for her arrested boyfriend.
THE PROVINCIAL Anti-Corruption Unit in Limpopo has arrested a 53-year-old woman after she allegedly tried to bribe an investigating officer.
The police said the woman will appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of corruption.
The woman allegedly offered the police officer “a substantial amount of money” in Polokwane last week, in a desperate bid to secure freedom for her arrested boyfriend.
“The investigating officer attached to the Murder and Robbery Unit was approached by the suspect, who is alleged to be the girlfriend of a male accused who was arrested in connection with cases of theft of a State firearm and house robbery,” said Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
“The suspect offered the police member cash money in exchange for the investigating officer not to oppose bail during court appearance scheduled for next week.”
The matter was reported to the Anti-Corruption Unit and an undercover operation was conducted.
The woman was subsequently arrested on Saturday, after she allegedly handed some of the money to the investigating officer at Savannah Mall in Polokwane.
The provincial commissioner of SAPS in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe commended the exemplary conduct of the police officer “for demonstrating a steadfast dedication to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics within the South African Police Service in Limpopo province”.
Last year, it was reported that a 53-year-old Limpopo traffic police officer was found guilty of corruption after accepting bribes. He was sentenced to an effective three years in jail.
Vincent Madiga was sentenced by the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court in October.
Madiga was arrested in 2018 during a “take-down” operation and was found to have been accepting gratifications between R200 and R1,500.
Explaining the take-down operation, the provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crimes (the Hawks), Lieutenant-Colonel Matimba Maluleke, said that in 2017 there was a loud public outcry about traffic police officers who were demanding and accepting gratification from motorists.
“In order to address the allegations of corruption against the traffic police, the Polokwane-based Serious Corruption Investigation members registered a major investigation project dubbed “Siyabangena”.
Maluleke said that on January 31, 2018, a take-down operation was conducted in Mokopane and Madiga, together with his co-accused, were arrested for corruption.
“After making numerous court appearances, Madiga was granted bail until he was convicted on August 8, 2023 for contravention of Section 4 (a) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004.”
