Fraud accused traffic official says undercover cop ‘tricked’ him

A Sundays River Valley traffic department employee accused of pocketing cash in exchange for false learner’s and driver’s licences has denied any wrongdoing.

This came as the Gqeberha high court yesterday ordered a trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of certain evidence.

The state was adamant proper procedures were followed when an undercover police sting was conducted at the department in Kirkwood, and that recordings of the alleged dealings were above-board, but lawyers for the three accused disagreed.

Taking to the stand yesterday, traffic official and learner’s and driver’s licence examiner Rory Petrus said the undercover police officer allegedly paid him cash to obtain her licences and had tried to trick him into selling her the documents.

According to Petrus, the undercover officer had on several occasions offered him money to buy cooldrinks and sweets when at the testing station.

“I thought it was genuine gestures [but] she tried to trick me into getting her licences,” Petrus said.

He said he had done everything above-board when he granted her a learner’s licence, though in her testimony, Constable Amy Sweetland told the court she purposefully answered the questions in a way to ensure she failed.

According to the state, Sweetland and colleague Constable Bennie Jordaan were granted permission to go undercover to collect evidence against Petrus, 37, and his colleagues, Zoleka Zandile

Nopote, 37, and Nonceba Conelia Jack, 41.

They have pleaded not guilty to 50 charges ranging from racketeering to fraud, corruption, forgery, furnishing false information, and the unlawful issuance of learner’s and driver’s licences.

Two other officials implicated in the alleged offences, Andrew Petrus and Ntomboxolo Lama, have since died.

According to the state, between December 2017 and March 2020, the accused allegedly colluded to form an illegal enterprise for self-enrichment by charging at least nine people between R1,000 for a forged eye test or falsified learner’s licence, to R5,000 for a “combo deal”.

In total, the three allegedly pocketed more than R20,000.

They were arrested after the undercover operation.