A Sars customs official was sentenced by the Upington Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to corruption for demanding a bribe to release an impounded minibus.
A SOUTH African Revenue Service (Sars) customs official, Lebogang Matthew Theane, 46, was sentenced by the Upington Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to charges of corruption under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004.
Hawks provincial spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Tebogo Thebe said that Theane was arrested on March 29, 2022, by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team and Serious Corruption Investigation members. The arrest followed allegations of theft and corruption.
Theane was charged alongside his colleague, Lebone Shomang, 39, whose case is ongoing after their matters were separated for trial.
The case began when the Hawks’ Upington office received a complaint from the nephew of a lawful vehicle owner. The complaint alleged that a minibus was impounded without a fine by the Sars Customs Division in Kakamas. The nephew approached Theane to have the minibus released, at which point Theane, in his capacity as a SARS customs official, demanded a bribe of R8,000.
The Upington Magistrate’s Court sentenced Theane to a fine of R30,000 or 12 months imprisonment, along with 24 months of correctional supervision.
The sentencing took place on September 17. The case against Shomang will continue, with the next court date set for October 7.
