Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
12 October 2022
Five more licensing officials from Mpumalanga have been arrested in connection with the R60 million motor vehicle license fee dumping corruption scandal in the province.
They were nabbed in a joint operation by the National Anti-Corruption Unit of the Road Traffic Management Corporation and the Hawks.
The five were arrested at licensing offices in Lydenburg, Delmas and in Piet Retief in Mpumalanga on Tuesday, 11 October 2022.
It is alleged that suspects were colluding with other employees of Mpumalanga community safety, security, and liaison at Natis Helpdesk section to fraudulently issue vehicle license discs.
They allegedly unlawfully and intentionally printed license discs on the official face-value documents that showed R0.00 amount as paid.
According to the statement issued by the Hawks, this brings to fourteen officials arrested in connection with this illicit practice.
Six more administrators were arrested in July 2022 and are out on R15 000 bail.
Some of the officials work as clerks in different registering authorities in the province.
They are alleged to have colluded with corrupt administrators, who worked at help desk of the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, to conduct illicit transactions that cost the state a loss of R60 million in unpaid license fees and penalties.
The arrests followed extensive investigation involving the Road Traffic Management Corporationβs National Anti-Corruption Unit, the Hawks and the (SIU) Special Investigating Unit.
The investigation revealed that between 2018 and 2019, the suspects manipulated the eNatis system to assist motor vehicle owners to avoid payment of vehicle license fees and penalties owed to the state.
Their modus operandi involved changing the ownership of the affected motor vehicles into the name of an unsuspecting individual, a deceased person, or a dormant company.
Fees and arrear penalties will then be passed on to the unsuspecting individual or companies before vehicle ownership is changed back to the rightful owner without any debt.
In some instances, fees were dumped onto government vehicles by using a GG Authority code.
The suspects are expected to face six hundred and three (603) charges of corruption, fraud, and money laundering when they appear in court.
The five suspects will appear in court on Wednesday, 12 October 2022.
Members of the public are urged to join the campaign against fraud and corruption by providing information to the ntacu@rtmc.co.za or through the WhatsApp line 083 293 7989.