IOL reports that a former member of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has been sent to prison following his conviction on fraud charges.
Rodney Two-boy Mpapela, 61, a former Hawks captain, was sentenced to six years imprisonment by the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Two years of Mpapela’s sentence was suspended for five years. Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela reported that Mpapela pocketed R4,000 in ‘trap money’. In February 2007, an application for trap money, to the value of R4,000, was made by the members of Mthatha Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation. The operation was conducted and the entire trap money was recovered from the target. On 10 March 2016, the case pertaining to the money in question was withdrawn by the state. On 15 June 2018, the unit commander handed over the trap money to Mpapela to return it to the finance office. But, the money never reached its intended destination. Mpapela nevertheless was adamant the money was not in his possession. Information in relation to his denied misconduct was received in 2020 by the Serious Corruption Investigation, for probing, which led to his subsequent arrest on 28 June 2021 and subsequent conviction.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL
- Read too, Former Hawks officer imprisoned for pocketing R4,000 in 'trap money', at News24
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