The Mmabatho Magistrate's Court in North West has postponed the case against Botswana police officer, Mompoloki Okocha Boitshoko, 42, to February 7 2025 for further investigations.
Last month, IOL reported that a trap was set where the 42-year-old paid a SARS official over R104,000 to release a truck carrying illicit cigarettes worth over R1 million.
This week, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in North West provincial spokesperson Sivenathi Gunya said Boitshoko is charged with corruption and conspiracy.
He appeared in court on Thursday and was granted bail, set at R20,000.
“The charges stem from an incident that occurred on November 25 2024 near Mahikeng, where the accused offered a SA Revenue Service (SARS) official an amount of approximately R100,000 for him to release an impounded truck at the border.
“During proceedings, it was revealed that there was a truck that was detained by South African Revenue Services at Skilpadshek border post that had cigarettes worth over R1 million. The driver of the truck was apprehended for contravention of Customs and Exercise Act 91 of 1964,” said Gunya.
The truck, cigarettes, and trailers were sized.
“The Botswana policeman allegedly phoned one of the SARS officials to pay him so that the truck can be released. An entrapment was set, which resulted in his (Boitshoko) arrest,” said Gunya.
Earlier this year, the Public Service Commission (PSC) commended law enforcement officials from the SARS and the Road Traffic Management Corporation who refused to take bribes of R200,000 and R50,000 respectively, after a truck loaded with R6 million illicit cigarettes had entered South Africa.
At the time, IOL reported that the Musina Regional Court had sentenced Nthapeleng Adler Munyai, a 47-year-old former Pamdozi Cargo International CC clearing agent, and Tsumbedzo Priscilla Nemangani Mashito, a 47-year-old former SARS customs external verification officer, at Beitbridge border post.
The two were each sentenced to an effective 15-year direct imprisonment term on counts of fraud, forgery, and two counts of corruption.
Limpopo spokesperson for the NPA, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said trouble mounted for the duo following an incident which took place on March 14, 2016.
“The two accused were arrested for permitting an interlink truck with two trailers, loaded with 614 boxes of semi-manufactured tobacco to the value of over R6 million to enter the country from Zimbabwe, and using forged/fabricated/fraudulent consignment clearance documents and thereby processed through the Beitbridge border control’s customs control area without compliance with the normal customs clearance process and procedures,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.
IOL