The 18 accused traffic officials who were nabbed in 2020 for their varying roles in a cross-provincial traffic syndicate that run from Bloemfontein, on Friday appeared at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. 

The suspects will appear for the first time for the pre-trial stage on 8 June 2021. The suspects were arrested as far as Limpopo, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and the Free State and during arrests, the Hawks seized documentation that they deemed pertinent to their investigation.

The arrests of the suspects, including those from the Lengau Traffic and Testing Centre, came on the back of a year-long investigation by the directorate into the syndicate which operated out of Bloemfontein. The group stands accused of issuing fraudulent roadworthy certificates for deregistered vehicles in exchange for money, amongst other violations. The apprehended group includes administration clerks, a police officer, and driving school employees from the four provinces. Authorities raided the homes of the accused, seizing documentation that they deemed pertinent to their investigation.

OFM News