A suspect will appear in court on Monday for allegedly trying to solicit a R6‚000 bribe from a Johannesburg resident whom he allegedly offered to assist to have her municipal arrears written off.

The suspect‚ who will be charged for fraud and extortion‚ was arrested in a sting operation on Friday after the woman‚ a resident of La Rochelle in the south of Johannesburg‚ contacted the city’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS)‚ Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba said.

He said the woman’s account was in arrears and that she had approached the city’s revenue department to make payment arrangements.

While she was busy trying to sort out her account‚ the suspect had approached her and offered to assist in having the arrears on the account written off.

“The suspect told the resident that they would write off her debt provided that she pays R6‚ 000. The resident agreed to pay the money to the suspect. The resident then informed the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) team which set up a sting operation together with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD)‚” Mashaba said in a statement.

Mashaba said he had also learned that “these suspects are working with officials from the Revenue department”‚ adding that more arrests were imminent. “I would like to commend the resident who refused to be part of any corrupt activity and reported the matter to our team which acted swiftly to deal with the matter."

“Corruption has no place in this administration and we will work tirelessly‚ and in collaboration with law enforcement agencies‚ to ensure that the residents of Johannesburg receive the quality services they deserve‚” Mashaba said.