A traffic officer appeared before the Bethlehem Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 23 October, on charges of corruption. He was granted bail of R2 000, and the trial was postponed to 6 December.
Pontsho Excellent Naile (39) was arrested in Bethlehem on Friday by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team from Bethlehem and Bloemfontein, in connection with corruption and bribery.
The arrest came after a business owner who owns trucks laid a complaint. He reported to authorities that a traffic officer in Bethlehem was persistently harassing his drivers, demanding money.
In a recent incident this officer allegedly asked the driver of one of the complainant’s trucks to pull off the road for inspection, and issued the driver with a fine. He demanded that the driver pay him R1 200 to not impound the truck.
On Friday he was apprehended while in possession of entrapment money in his vehicle. The Free State Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Maj. Gen. Mokgadi Bokaba, says that the Hawks are squeezing the space for corrupt law enforcement officers.
