Police officer bust for fraudulent accommodation claim

A Free State police officer has been arrested for allegedly inflating an expenses claim.

Warrant officer Madraai Edson Luvhimbi, 52, based at the police training division in Pretoria, appeared in the Harrismith magistrate's court on corruption charges on Friday.

Hawks spokesperson Capt Christopher Singo said Luvhimbi was arrested in Pretoria on Thursday.

“It is alleged that on Tuesday, October 27 2020, Luvhimbi, a warrant officer based at Training Division Pretoria stayed at a guest house in Harrismith for official duties where he paid R630 per night.

"On Monday, November 2 2020 he submitted a fraudulent claim of R950 per night instead of R630 per night that he paid,” said Singo.

“The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation (team) in Bethlehem for further investigation culminating in the arrest of Luvhimbi.”

Luvhimbi was released on R2,000 bail. He will be back in court in October.

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