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- Two security officers have been arrested at the Beitbridge border post.
- The one security guard allegedly encouraged SARS officials to take a bribe instead of impounding a truck.
- The second officer allegedly abandoned his post, allowing the same truck to be removed from the impound.
Two security officers have been arrested for corruption and theft at the Beitbridge border post.
The Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team arrested the officers, aged 31 and 35, on Wednesday.
Explaining the background to the arrests, Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said SARS officials stopped international truck driver Kholisani Nkomo at the border post on 18 December 2021.
The truck was impounded, but the driver allegedly offered the officials a bribe for the release of the truck.
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"While SARS officials were still busy with the process of impounding the truck, a Fidelity company security official allegedly approached and [tried to persuade] them to accept gratification but they refused. The truck was eventually impounded and kept under the watch of another security official," Maluleke said.
The second security officer later abandoned his post and the truck disappeared.
"After an investigation by the Hawks, in collaboration with SARS Anti-Corruption [team] members, warrants of arrest were authorised against the suspects," Maluleke added.
"The truck driver, Nkomo, was already arrested on 27 December 2021 at [the] Beitbridge port of entry, on his way back from Gauteng province. He was...in custody until [he was] released on R3 000 bail by the Musina Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 26 January."
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