Nine SANDF soldiers appeared in court for charges of corruption and possession of illicit cigarettes in two different cases at the Musina Magistrate Court in Limpopo.
In the first case to be heard in court, seven soldiers who were arrested for alleged corruption by the HAWKS last week made their second appearance.
#sapsHQ In response to the scourge of #CrossBorderCrimes, #Hawks in collaboration with Crime Intelligence, NIU & @SANDF_ZA arrested 6 soldiers aged between 30 and 51 on 21/06 for the alleged corruption. #FightingCorruption MEhttps://t.co/XMhIuxrZAZ pic.twitter.com/4o5Spge4a5
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) June 22, 2021
Captain Matimba Maluleke says the suspects were arrested in the North West, Free State, and Northern Cape provinces for allegedly conniving with vehicle smuggling syndicates, to smuggle out vehicles from the country to Zimbabwe through the Limpopo river.
Maluleke says the crime was committed between 2017 and 2019 when they were deployed to guard the Beitbridge borderline.
Their case was postponed to Friday, July 2, for a formal bail application.
“The seven soldiers who were arrested last week for alleged corruption appeared today in the Musina Magistrate Court. The matter was again postponed again until this coming Friday for a formal bail application, everything was under control we made sure that the court is secured so there was nothing wrong everything was under control,” explains Maluleke.
Meanwhile, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo says two more soldiers who were arrested for allegedly transporting illicit cigarettes were each granted R3000 bail by the same court. They were arrested in a roadblock on the N1 near the Beitbridge border. The consignment was destined to the town of Musina in an army vehicle.”
The two accused Lieutenant Jabu Mokoena and Sphamandla Zungu were arrested together with an illegal foreigner they were traveling with.
Their case was postponed to the 28th of next month for further investigations.
