Portuguese in court for ‘buying drunk-driving docket’

A PORTUGUESE national facing a drunken driving charge, appeared in court yesterday, accused of buying his drunk-driving docket during a police “sting” operation.

Antonio Manuel Rodrigus Alves, 53, was released on R5 000 bail when he appeared in the Goodwood District Court, before magistrate Sean Leah. He has been charged with corruption.

The corruption charge stemmed from an alleged incident last Friday, when he offered a police warrant officer R2 500 for the drunken driving docket, at the McDonald’s outlet in Bothasig.

Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said Alves had a drunken driving charge pending against him, from an alleged incident in 2013.

On Friday, the Bothasig police station commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Jacobs, received information Alves was looking for someone to help him make the drunk driving docket “disappear” before his court appearance today.

Permission was obtained from the National Prosecuting Authority to execute an undercover operation.

Yesterday Goodwood prosecutor Benito Adonis told the court Alves’s appearance was the result of the police trap.

He alleges the “sting” happened at the McDonald’s Bothasig outlet, where Alves bought the docket from a member of the Parow Crime Intelligence Unit, posing as a police official in the market to sell the docket. Police observed while the deal was in progress, and afterwards arrested Alves.

In the corruption case, Alves was warned to appear in court again on January 20. – ANA