Rustenburg - An Ethiopian man was sentenced to six years imprisonment for offering the police a R1 000 bribe in Mogwadi, Limpopo.
Fitebo Makala Madebo, 45, was sentenced for corruption in the Mogwadi Periodical Court.
"During the trial, the court heard that on May 12, 2022, the police officers from Limpopo Highway Patrol Unit were patrolling around Mogwadi area when they visited some tuck-shops, they also visited a certain shop where they found an Ethiopian man Shobiso Dawit Tegeni, 29, selling illicit Remington Gold cigarettes.
"They found nine cartons consists of 10x 20 packets of Remington Gold cigarettes worth R2 620. The police arrested him, and they went to Mogwadi police station to charge and detain him," said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Limpopo division, Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi.
"While the police were busy completing the case docket and detaining Tegeni, his friend Madebo arrived at the police station and offered the police officers R1 000 to release the accused arrested for possession of illicit goods, without the due process of the law taking its course and that the police must give him back the illicit cigarettes and free Tegeni,“ she said.
Dzhangi said in mitigation of the sentence the defence submitted that Madebo was a married man, with four children, self-employed, he was remorseful, and he could afford to pay a fine of R1 500.
State advocate Phumudzo Mudau submitted that the accused committed a serious offence by offering a bribe of R1 000 at the police station in front of other police officers, this is an indication that he does not respect law.
"Advocate Mudau further told the court that corruption poses a serious threat to our democratic state and cases of this nature are of national concern. There is a huge cry in the society that the courts must address corruption by imposing appropriate sentences.
“He further prayed to court to impose a custodial sentence to deter the accused and other would-be offenders from committing crimes of this nature," she said.
Dzhangi said the court agreed with the state that corruption was a national concern, and only appropriate sentence was custodial sentence.
Madebo was sentenced to six years imprisonment without an option to pay fine.
IOL