The Mokopane magistrate’s court has handed down stiff justice to a corrupt traffic officer, sentencing him to direct imprisonment, after he accepted a R200 bribe from an undercover agent.
Vincent Madiga,53, was sentenced to three year’s direct imprisonment without the option of a fine when he appeared to face judgement and sentencing in the Limpopo court on Monday.
He was found guilty of charges relating to accepting a bribe of R200 from an undercover anti-corruption agent from The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
The RTMC has welcomed the sentencing imposed on the officer.
“The arrest took place during a joint operation, named Operation Siyabangena, by the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit of the RTMC and the Hawks in 2018. The RTMC believes that the conviction of this officer will send a message to others that are still hell bent on committing such crimes, that crime does not pay,” the RMTC said in a statement.
“The officer now no longer qualifies to work as a traffic officer because of his criminal record and this means that we have succeeded in removing a bad element from the ranks of our traffic officers.”
A total of 13 traffic officers were arrested as part of Operation Siyabangena and their cases are continuing in different courts in the province. Some have already been imprisoned for their offence. – SAnews.gov.za
