Beitbridge border post officials sent to jail for fraud and corruption 

The Musina Regional Court, Limpopo has sentenced two Beitbridge border post officials to an effective 15-year direct imprisonment term on counts of fraud, forgery, and two counts of corruption. The two are Nthapeleng Adler Munyai [47], former manager of Pamdozi Cargo International CC Clearing Agent and Tsumbedzo Priscilla Nemangani Mashito[47], former SARS Customs External Verification Officer at Musina Beitbridge Border Post.

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.

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The truck was using fraudulent consignment clearance documents. However, the two were processed through the BBR Customs control area without compliance with the normal customs clearance process and procedures.

The said truck was stopped at the Musina Weigh Bridge by an officer of the Road Traffic Management Cooperation (RTMC). Upon noticing that the truck and trailers’ registration number plates did not correspond with the license disks, on reasonable grounds suspected that there could be something wrong with the load/consignment on the truck. He then contacted his senior who was off duty and requested his intervention which then resulted in the truck being caused to return to the BBR customs ramp under police and traffic official’s escort for inspection.

Munyai offered the witness gratification of R50 000 whilst the two were still at the weighbridge for him not to cause the truck to be returned to BBR for inspection and with total disregard for the consequences of his actions continued to offer gratification of R200 000 to the witness [customs official] for him not to carry out any inspection of the truck when it was at the BBR Customs ramp.

OFFICIALS AT THE MUSINA BEITBRIDGE BORDER POST SENTENCED FOR FRAUD AND CORRUPTION 

It was revealed that Mashito had just reported for work from leave and had swapped the original duty shift posting. She was also found to have been instrumental in the processing of the truck and its consignment outside the normal and ordinary customs clearance process and procedures and had misrepresented to her employer [SARS] how the transaction relating to the said truck was dealt with.

 The prosecutor, Advocate Malope Maponya, of the Specialized Tax Unit, led the evidence of the RTMC officer, junior and senior SARS Customs officials/managers (accused no.2′ ex-colleagues), clearing agent officials and managers (accused no.1’s employer and Clearing agent clerk) in proving the state’s case against the two accused.

Advocate Maponya also presented the Victim Impact Statement [VIS] evidence in the aggravation of the sentence. The Presiding Officer was persuaded thereby and concluded that the aggravating circumstances far outweighed the mitigating factors and further that the accused persons failed to present substantial and compelling circumstances warranting the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence. The court sentenced both accused to an effective 15 years of direct imprisonment. The truck with its two trailers and 614 boxes of tobacco was also forfeited to the state.