Eight licensing officials are to appear in the Middelburg Magistrates Court in Mpumalanga on Monday on fraud and corruption charges.
The officials were arrested at the Lekwa licensing office in Standerton on Friday.
They are facing allegations of falsifying vehicle ownership registrations on the national traffic information system, enabling truck owners to avoid paying for their vehicle licensing fees, including penalties and arrears.
“It is believed that more than 87 motor vehicle owners have benefitted from this scam and police will be following up on them. It is estimated that the Mpumalanga provincial government has lost more than R67 million in unpaid fees as a result of the scam,” the Road Traffic Management Corporation said in a statement.
Members of the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s national traffic anti-corruption unit and the South African Police Service have been investigating allegations of improper vehicle ownership registrations at licensing centres throughout the country since 2017.
About 75 officials who are in implicated in this scam have been identified at various registering authorities nationally and more arrests are expected as investigations continue.
Anyone with information that can assist in these investigations is requested to contact the national traffic anti-corruption unit on 086 400 800 or ntacu@rtmc.co.za. – SAnews.gov.za
