A former Transnet employee has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in the Free State.
Joseph Leeuw was convicted on charges of damage to essential infrastructure and assault.
The provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said the incident took place two years ago.
“On June 15, 2022, Navalsig police were called to the Transnet railway premises after one of the company's employees was found with copper cable in his bag. Security officials tried to detain him, but he assaulted them and ran away, dropping the loot,” Kareli said.
“Navalsig police were called to the scene and a case of damage to infrastructure and assault was registered. The 37-year-old suspect was arrested the following day while reporting on duty and was charged with damage to infrastructure and assault.”
The matter was handed over to Detective Constable Mathaha Lekgooa of the Navalsig Detective Services.
“With the assistance and guidance of the prosecutor, the suspect was charged and sentenced by the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court to 20 years for damage to infrastructure and assault,” Kareli said.
In a separate incident in Mpumalanga, a senior Eskom technician was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks) on charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering.
Nkhetheni Percy Ramaru, 51, was arrested on Tuesday, for alleged fraud worth R14,000.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said Ramaru allegedly misrepresented himself and conducted business with Eskom.
“During the investigation, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) discovered that the accused failed to declare conflict of interest to Eskom, whilst investigations revealed that he was a shareholder at a company called MXO Logistics cc,” she said.
“The company was conducting business with Eskom. This was discovered on the declaration forms and tender documents submitted by MXO Logistics cc to Eskom.”
IOL