EMPD officials arrested for vehicle disc scam

Nine more Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officials have been arrested for allegedly being part of a vehicle disc scam syndicate that targets deceased people.

This figure takes the number of EMPD employees arrested in the past two weeks to 13. Four officials, which include  administration personnel and a supervisor, were arrested at the Germiston licensing station in Wadeville this morning.

On Thursday five officials, were arrested at Alberton and Bedfordview licensing offices by anti-corruption investigators consisting of the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s (RTMC) National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit, EMPD’s compliance and monitoring unit, the SAPS Gauteng Special Project Unit and provincial Traffic Police compliance unit. 

They face charges of fraud and corruption, said RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane.

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These arrests are a follow up to another bust conducted last week where four EMPD officials Simphiwe Lesotho, Monica Sefoka, Sam Gulolo, Sizakele Magagula were arrested at the Benoni licence department. They are out on R5000 bail each.

Their modus operandi is said to be taking bribes from motorists who have overdue license disc bills and penalties.

They would illegally register these vehicles on deceased people or unsuspecting individuals before re-registering them back to the original owner.  

The scam is so widespread that Ekurhuleni council has lost an estimated R600 000 from the Benoni licensing centre.

"This figure escalates to at least R80-million from other municipalities around the country," said Zwane.

This week The Star reported of a deceased, Bryan Ayers, who had died in 2011, but managed to ring up a debt of R4 466 in unpaid vehicle license discs as he laid in his grave. The debt was dumped on him in 2012.

@lindilesifile