Former police captain sentenced for trying to defraud RAF
Image: Elvis Ntombela
A Mpumalanga former police captain has been sentenced for fraud and corruption for trying to collude with a victim of a car crash to defraud the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
Two police officers, a sergeant and a constable from the SAPS Dientjie community service centre, attended the scene of the accident in Mitibiti on August 5 2018.
A VW Polo with five occupants had overturned, Hawks spokesperson W/O Thandi Tshabalala said.
“They recorded everything on an accident report form and all injured persons were taken to different hospitals for medical treatment,” she said.
A docket was opened and a detective at the same police station, France Malamba Khoza, 62, was in charge of the case. However, it was discovered that he colluded with the mother of the Polo driver with the intention of defrauding the RAF.
“Capt Khoza allegedly obtained a statement from Neclous Shebu, who was not a passenger or even present at the scene on the day.”
The matter was handed to the Hawks and four people were arrested, including Khoza, the mother of the driver Sylvia Mohlala, the driver Ralph Mabunele and Shebu.
Mohlala and her son were found guilty of corruption and sentenced by the Nelspruit regional court in August 2022 to six months’ imprisonment or a R3,000 fine. They were handed a further 12-month prison sentence which was wholly suspended for defeating the administration of justice. They were given a further suspended 12-month prison sentence for perjury, said Tshabalala.
The charges were withdrawn against Shebu.
“Khoza, the former police captain, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for corruption, four years for fraud and three years for defeating the administration of justice,” said Tshabalala.
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