The Hawks have arrested 15 suspects, including a police officer, on charges of fraud and corruption relating to vehicle registrations.
Six of the suspects were arrested in Bloemfontein following a nine-month investigation. The other suspects have been arrested in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
The Hawks say the suspects were allegedly registering unroadworthy cars in exchange for bribes.
Emotions ran high at Lengau Testing Center in Bloemfontein during arrests of officials by the Hawks.
Of the six suspects that were arrested in Bloemfontein, one was nabbed from her house. The suspects’ houses were searched while some documents were seized.
The arrests follow months of investigation into illegal vehicle registrations and the issuing of illegal police clearance certificates.
Free State Hawks Spokesperson Lynda Steyn says the suspects are expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
“Serious Corruption Investigating Unit has clamped down on 15 suspects of which three are still outstanding on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering with regards to licensing, registering and deregistering vehicles as well as roadworthy-less vehicles. We arrested one police official, admin clerks at Lengau Traffic Department in Bloemfontein, Free State. And in other provinces, it’s admin clerks and private driving schools.”
At least three more arrests are still expected.
