MPUMALANGA. – The High Court has granted an order that R7 000 offered as bribe money to police officers be forfeited to the state. The money was offered in March 2020 by Emmanuel Gumede in an attempt to make his brothers' dagga case disappear.
Lt.Col. Magonseni Nkosi, Hawks spokesperson, says officers from the Piet Retief crime prevention unit conducted roadblocks and searches on 20 March 2020 when Gumede approached them. He wanted to discuss his brothers' detention for possession of dagga and allegedly asked the police to return the dagga and make the case file disappear. He offered R7 000 to influence the officers, but they rejected the offer and arrested him on a charge of bribery. The money was registered as evidence and has now been forfeited following a successful application.
The Hawks warn that bribe money is not a way to make a criminal case disappear. Attempts to bribe police officers to secure someone's release, conceal evidence or influence an investigation can result in further criminal consequences. Police officers are also encouraged to report corrupt approaches.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
