Hefty Fines But No Jail Time For Seven Limpopo Roadworthy Fraudsters

Seven officials from the Phalala Vehicle Testing Station in Lephalele were sentenced this week on 51 counts of fraud, but they are likely to avoid jail time.

The seven accused persons, aged between 23 and 67, were ordered by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Polokwane to either pay fines of R20,000 each or spend five years in prison.

The court case followed a lengthy investigation that dates back to October 2019, when an anti-corruption official from the Road Traffic Management Corporation RTMC received complaints about a suspiciously high number of impounded unroadworthy vehicles that were previously issued roadworthy certificates by the Phalala Testing Station.

A subsequent investigation, assisted by the Hawkes in Polokwane, found that officials at the Lephalale station defrauded the Department of Transport by issuing roadworthy certificates without following the correct procedures.

According to the South African Police Service SAPS, the officials used the personal details of other individuals to issue roadworthy certificates without their knowledge.