Cape Argus

From cop to car washer

Former Crime Intelligen­ce Unit clerk Zukasani Mtakati was fined R10 000 for bribery

-

FROM a promising career in the police Crime Intelligen­ce Unit to washing cars – that’s the price that a father of two small children had to pay for requesting a bribe for private informatio­n. Former clerk Zukasani Mtakati, 32, was fined R10 000 or 10 months in jail.

He was also sentenced to four years in jail, conditiona­lly suspended for five, when he pleaded guilty in the Bellville Specialise­d Commercial Crimes Court yesterday, for requesting a R3 000 bribe for private informatio­n from the CIU’s computers.

He appeared before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, who agreed with prosecutor Xolile Jonas that the suspended prison sentence would make him “think twice” if ever temptation were placed before him again.

The suspended jail sentence had to hang over his head like the proverbial Sword of Damocles, the magistrate said.

The prosecutor reminded the court that crime intelligen­ce was crucial in the fight against crime and was a vital tool in police investigat­ions. Mtakati had abused his position of trust, the prosecutor said.

The court heard that the CIU had informatio­n that Mtakati was selling informatio­n obtained from the unit’s computers and a police under-cover operation was authorised.

Mtakati was given an agent’s cellphone number, on the pretence that the agent wanted someone’s profile.

Mtakati called the agent to satisfy himself that he was talking to the correct person, then arranged to meet the agent at the Cape Gate Shopping Centre in Brackenfel­l.

Prior to the meeting, the agent was given R10 000 with which to pay Mtakati for the informatio­n.

As it happened, Mtakati met the agent as planned, but instead of exchanging the informatio­n for the bribe, he changed his mind and “walked away”.

The magistrate commended Mtakati for walking away and said he had “done the honourable thing”.

Unfortunat­ely, it was too late, as his very arrangemen­t to meet the agent in the first instance, was sufficient for a conviction on a charge of corruption, she said.

She said he had been prepared to sell private informatio­n for a bribe and had pleaded guilty, but he in fact had no option but to plead guilty because he had been trapped.

The magistrate said Mtakati had brought shame and disgrace on his wife and small children, but that the punishment had to be fair, and not a “show of power”.

The court had to bring home to him that crime did not pay, she said.

Mtakati had to pay half the fine immediatel­y and at the request of defence attorney Ayanda Mqala the other half by April 18. – ANA

MTAKATI MET THE AGENT, BUT INSTEAD OF EXCHANGING THE INFORMATIO­N, HE ‘WALKED AWAY’

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa