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A MAN who became a police officer after submitting a fraudulent matric certificate during an SAPS recruitment drive has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment or a R20,000 fine.
The Kimberley Magistrate’s Court handed down the sentence on Mpho Gift Sekwenyane, 27.
This comes after he was arrested by the provincial SAPS anti-corruption unit at his home in Buxton Village near Taung in the North West.
During the 2021/22 South African Police Service recruitment drive, Sekwenyane applied to become a SAPS police official by submitting a fraudulent matric certificate.
Thorough investigation was done and the suspect was arrested on March 7, 2023 at his home.
"He was found guilty and sentenced on July 20, 2023 to a R20,000 fine or 18 months imprisonment for fraud," Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock said.
The deputy provincial commissioner for corporate services, Major-General Henriette de Waal, commended Detective Sergeant Neo Mduane from the provincial SAPS anti-corruption unit for his “meticulous investigation that led to this outstanding sentence”.
“We hope this conviction will serve as a deterrent to others who attempt to commit similar crimes,” De Waal said.