Four traffic licensing officials fined for vehicle licensing fraud

Four Standerton licensing officials who were part of the eight arrested in August 2019 following an investigation that uncovered a scam have been sentenced to hefty fines.  

The licensing officials from Mpumalanga were involved in a scam to fraudulently dump heavy motor vehicle licence fees, arrears and penalties, thus enabling operators to avoid payments.  

Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane said a bogus vehicle dealership had been created to perpetrate the crimes, which cost the Mpumalanga provincial government R4m in lost revenue. 

Joyce Smangele Selepe, Ida Vangile Mdluli, Thembi Mavuso and Robert Nkutha were sentenced to hefty fines or imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to multiple charges of fraud by the Middelburg regional court on Wednesday.  

Selepe pleaded guilty to 30 counts of fraud and was sentenced to a R80,000 fine or five years' imprisonment and a further five years suspended for five years.

Mdluli pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and was fined R30,000 or two years' imprisonment and a further two years' imprisonment suspended for five years.  

Nkutha was sentenced to a R30,000 fine or two years' imprisonment and a further two years suspended for five years.

Mavuso, who had pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud, was sentenced to R50,000 fine or three years imprisonment and a further three years imprisonment suspended for five years.  

All four officials’ suspended sentences are imposed on the condition that they are not convicted of fraud during the period of suspension.  

Zwane said the remaining four accused are scheduled to appear in court on May 10. 

“The RTMC welcomes the sentences and warns others who are involved in fraud and corruption that the long arm of the law will ultimately catch up with them,” he said. 

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