Controversial businessman arrested for R102,000 'bribery' paid to have his G-Wagon released

A Mpumalanga businessman is expected to appear in the Middelburg magistrate’s court on Friday for allegedly attempting to bribe a senior police official to get his impounded vehicle released.

TimesLIVE understands the vehicle is a Mercedez-Benz G-Wagon, which is valued at about R2-million.

Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, of the Hawks, said the 25-year-old businessman was initially arrested in Nelspruit in September on charges of fraud, corruption and possession of an unlicensed firearm, and was out on R200,000 bail.

His latest arrest emanates from allegations that he attempted to corrupt a senior police official in Mpumalanga.

"The suspect paid R50,000 as a down payment and on Thursday he added a further R70,000 for the release of his vehicle and for the Nelspruit docket to disappear," said Mulaudzi.

"Processes to forfeit the R120,000, including the luxury vehicle the suspect was utilising during the commission of the crime, are already under way," said the Hawks spokesman.

The national head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, commended the investigating team.

“I would like to commend the members of the DPCI who resisted the temptation by those who want to corrupt them.  We shall be working towards forfeiting the money paid as gratification”, said Lebeya.