419 cop up for corruption
2003-06-23 20:25
Johannesburg - A 44-year-old former head of a 419 scam investigation unit appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Monday on charges of corruption.
Johnny Smith allegedly received R5 000 from David Arthur Broad, 74, in 1998 to cover Smith's expenses during investigations into a fraud complaint by Broad.
Smith allegedly told him to cover up for his petrol and accommodation expenses if he wanted him to investigate his complaint.
Advocate Desmond Brown, representing Smith, claimed that the charge had been trumped up against his client to get him out of the way as he and two colleagues had applied for the same position which would have been a promotion.
This was denied by the two former colleagues Superintendent Tobias Marais and Superintendent Johannes Hyman who both testified against Smith on Monday afternoon.
They denied there was much discussion in the office where they all worked that Smith would probably get the position because of affirmative action.
All three went for interviews, Smith had already been arrested and released on bail, and none of them got the position.
- SAPA