Nine traffic department officials arrested for cancelling fines

Nine officials at Gauteng vehicle testing stations have been arrested for running a traffic fines and false documents ring that the provincial government has estimated to be worth R80-million.

The officials were among nine people arrested. They stand accused of fraudulently cancelling traffic violation fines and other related documents.

The Gauteng government said on Friday that after a “thorough and wide-ranging investigation”‚ which started last year‚ authorities discovered that the suspects have been dumping outstanding traffic violation fines onto deceased people‚ which enabled them to process false documents for the actual offenders.

“The crime committed at various testing stations in the country is alleged to amount to R80-million‚” it said in a statement.

The sting operation started on Thursday and led to the arrest of four officials from the Germiston testing station. The five other officials were from the Bedfordview and Alberton testing stations.

Gauteng community safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane commended officers from the Gauteng traffic police‚ Road Traffic Management Corporation and SAPS for “rooting out criminal elements” at the testing centres.

“These are meant to be centres of excellence where we ensure that roadworthy vehicles and fitness of drivers are tested before they are cleared to be on our roads. I have been advocating a message of road safety [and] rooting out corruption - and we will not hesitate to deal decisively with any element that stands in our way to achieve this goal‚” said Nkosi-Malobane.

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