A Free State lawyer will soon appear before the Hennenman Magistrate’s Court on charges of corruption and obstruction of justice.
The 54-year-old man was arrested during an entrapment operation by members of the SAPS’s Provincial Organized Crime Investigations, together with the Provincial Tracking Team and the Provincial Technical Support Unit of Crime Intelligence in Ventersburg.
Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Sinah Mpakane said the arrests stem from a case the lawyer was currently handling.
“The suspect is the lawyer representing three suspects involved in the theft of agricultural seed worth more than R2 million from farms in the farming communities of Bothaville, Viljoenskroon and Ventersburg,” Mpakane said.
According to police, the investigating officer in the theft case should receive a cash reward so that the suspects could be released before the court without any objection to bail.
“The team attacked the suspect immediately after the expected transfer of the lawyer’s bribe money to the investigating officer. The suspects, represented by the suspect, were scheduled to appear before the Ventersburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, February 12, on three charges of burglary of business premises and possession of suspected stolen property,” Mpakane said.
A case of corruption and obstruction of justice was opened at the Ventersburg police station.
“The suspect will appear before the Hennenman Magistrate’s Court shortly,” Mpakane said.
IOL
Robin-Lee Francke
iol.co.za