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Johannesburg police have made a key taxi syndicate arrest
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December 19, 2007, 06:15
Police, in an effort to fight the ongoing corruption in the Taxi Industry in the North West Province, managed to apprehend who they believe is a leader of a syndicate operating from Johannesburg. A man believed to be an advocate of the High Court, was arrested after the police set up a trap, where the man handed a bribe to a policeman. The bribe was to be payment for charges to be dropped against his client, after being arrested for driving a taxi with a fraudulent license and permit.
The man was nabbed in Rustenburg, by a special police task team in the North West, established to deal with on-going taxi violence in the province. So far, it has successfully impounded over 270 illegal taxis in the last five months. One of the taxis belonged to the arrested advocate's client.
Fraudulent permit
It was impounded early this month, for operating with a fraudulent permit. Police say the taxi owner and his advocate offered a bribe, for charges to be dropped.
Elsabe Augustides of SAPS Rustenburg said: "The owner as well as his legal representative then came to a specific place here in Rustenburg were they met with this police official and then requested that the police official should drop the charges... these charges were then supposedly going to be dropped if the police official received an amount of R2000. They were willing to pay an amount of R2000".
The suspect, who has been remanded in custody at Tlhabane police cells, is expected to appear at Tlhabane Magistrate court tomorrow on charges of bribery.
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