Hawks bust police officers for 'fraudulent travel expenses'
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While SA is used to stories of millions going missing, stealing smaller amounts of money is still an offence, as two two recently promoted police officers have learnt.
The two officers have been arrested by the Hawks for allegedly submitting fictitious accommodation invoices while travelling between provinces.
The sergeants at the serious corruption offences unit in Pretoria and at the Ivory Park detectives unit allegedly submitted fraudulent travel claims between 2015 and 2018.
The invoices were submitted at their police station’s finance office for capturing. The officers were arrested in Ivory Park, Gauteng, on Thursday.
“The Hawks’ serious corruption investigation [team] in the province conducted a sting operation this morning where warrants of arrest were executed in Ivory Park,” said spokesperson Capt Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
“Further investigation revealed that most of the guesthouses’ invoices which the suspects submitted did not exist.
The police service lost about R4,756 on all accommodation invoices submitted by the suspects, said Mulamu.
The officers, aged 35 and 42, were immediately arrested and charged with fraud and are expected to appear in the Kempton Park magistrate's court on Friday.
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