MTHATHA – Two males aged 30 and 43 appeared at the Bityi Magistrate’s court for fraud allegedly committed between May 2019 – May 2020 following their arrest by the Provincial Commercial Crime Unit.
It is alleged a SAPS employee who was attached to Mthatha LCRC (Local Criminal Records Centre) working as an Administrative Clerk misused the state vehicle fuel card and a state vehicle.
He managed to get away with this through misrepresenting information to his immediate commander to say, ‘one of the state vehicle is due to be boarded as it was mechanically unfit’.
He kept reporting that the vehicle was in the SAPS garage. During May 2020 Bityi petrol station manager informed the Commander of the accused that they have noticed an irregular use of a diesel fuel card that belongs to one of police vehicles. The petrol card at that moment was being used to pour petrol on different vehicles with different registration numbers written on the fuel slips.
During preliminary investigation it was discovered that the employee was appointed as Fleet Manager at the Mthatha LCRC office. He used the services of the petrol attendant at the garage whom he gave the state fuel card. The petrol attendant in the process defrauded the state of at least R110 000-00 during these illegal transactions.
The suspects used the fuel card to exchange for cash money as the petrol attendant will swipe the card for customers who paid with cash for fuel. The Fleet Manager would visit the fuel station on regular basis to receive ‘his money’ and gave the petrol attendant his share.
According to Mthatha SAPS garage the alleged vehicle still have enough money for operation. After the matter was reported for criminal investigation, the employee resigned with immediate effect and also the petrol attendant resigned from his work.
The investigation also shows that the SAPS employee misused the state vehicle by travelling to different unauthorised destinations around the provinces as far a Mount Aylif and Aliwal North. Both accused were arrested on 09 September 2020 and appeared at Bityi Magistrate’s Court on 10 September 2020. The investigators worked in collaboration with NPA where a Prosecutor Guided Investigation approach was utilised to ensure a water tight case against the accused.
The case was remanded to 17 September 2020 for bail application. The suspect remain in custody while the second suspect (petrol attendant) was released on bail of R500-00.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga commended the investigation for the good work done and progress in this case. “We are busy fighting crime and illegal activities like this reverse the gains in our fight against crime and robs our citizens quality police services. Such people don’t deserve to be in the SAPS employ,” she said emphatically.