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A father and his son have been arrested for allegedly soliciting a bribe of R40 000 from Johannesburg residents.
The duo, who work for TMPP Contractors, were expecting a further R110 000 to be paid to them before the end of last week. TMPP is the main contractor tasked by the City’s Power Utility, City Power, to conduct an audit on meters. The suspects allegedly approached the resident, whose account was in arrears, with an offer to write off his R500 000 debt in exchange for a payment of R150 000. They allegedly demanded R40 000 before they could begin tampering with the indebted resident’s account.
The resident agreed to pay the money to the contractor and requested that the latter come to his workplace in Richmond to collect the cash. The resident then informed the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) team, which set up a sting operation together with the members of the Hawks.
The suspects arrived at the resident’s workplace, collected and counted the money after which they requested the resident pay the remaining balance of R110 000 as soon as the debt was written off. They then left the building and the Hawks pounced on them as they were leaving.
It is also understood that these suspects had been working with officials from City Power and the Revenue Department. Police are on the verge of identifying these officials. The father and son appeared in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on August 29.
Mayor Herman Mashaba thanked the resident for not paying the bribe.
“I would like to commend the resident who refused to be part of any corrupt activity and reported the matter to our team which acted swiftly to deal with the matter. Corruption has no place in this administration and we will work tirelessly, and in collaboration with institutions such as the Hawks, to ensure that the residents of Johannesburg receive the quality services they deserve,” said Mashaba.
