Cape Town - Two prison warders are expected to appear in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges relating to corruption for allegedly hooking up with inmates in return for privileges, the Hawks said.
According to the Western Cape spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Zinzi Hani, the two suspects, a warrant officer and a sergeant, were arrested on Monday.
“The two prison warders were arrested today after their morning parade for engaging in hook-ups with inmates in return for privileges, on charges relating to corruption,” Hani said.
“Their arrest emanates from information received about suspected warders who were receiving money from inmates in January this year.”
Hani said the two, aged 45 and 53, were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption investigation team based in Bellville at the Goodwood Correctional Facility.
She said the crime is alleged to have occurred between March 2020 and 2021.
“This then led to the matter being reported to the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team for further probing,” said Hani.
“The duo is expected to make their first appearance tomorrow, May 16, 2023, in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court.”
In a separate incident, a bookkeeper from George has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment after she was convicted on 233 counts of fraud, alternatively theft, in the George Regional Court.
Gillian Mary Wileman, 56, stole R7.6 million from her company, Ideal Lighting from 2016 until 2022.
“Her duties included capturing bank statement transactions and administering payments to creditors and suppliers of Ideal Lighting,” Hani said.
“The accused had access to the preparation of payments that needed to be made from Ideal Lighting to various creditors.
“The Hawks investigation successfully proved in court that she diverted payments into her account for personal gain, instead of paying money from the business to the creditors of Ideal Lighting between 29 January 2016 to 31 December 2020,” Hani said.
“A thorough investigation revealed that the accused concealed the movement of the said funds.”
Wileman was sentenced to sentenced to 14 years imprisonment of which six years was suspended for five years.
IOL