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Ex-traffic cop gets 6 years for fraud

A FORMER traffic officer has been sentenced by the Mokopane regional court to six years' imprisonment for fraudulently issuing learner and driver's licences.

A FORMER traffic officer has been sentenced by the Mokopane regional court to six years' imprisonment for fraudulently issuing learner and driver's licences.

Timothy Mooka was arrested in February 2006 in a joint operation by Limpopo's roads and transport department, the special investigating unit and the police's organised crime unit.

The investigation revealed that applicants from as far afield as the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were issued with fraudulent licences after paying a bribe to Mooka, a former traffic and testing officer at Mogalakwena municipality near Alldays.

Mooka was found guilty on two counts of corruption and sentenced to six years' imprisonment on each. The sentences will run concurrently.

"The harsh sentence sends a clear message that the department will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to root out any form of corruption in our licence-testing centres," said roads and transport MEC Pinky Kekana.

"Fraudulent licenses contaminates our legal processes, which are meant to ensure that drivers are indeed ready to drive on our roads," she said.

Kekana said an electronic booking system was in place at 23 of the province's 28 testing centres. - Sapa

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