Cape Town – A former 61-year-old captain, attached to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), has been convicted in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, on charges of fraud.
According to the Eastern Cape provincial spokesperson for the Hawks Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, on February 20, 2007, an application was made for trap money amounting to R4 000 by Hawks members, for the purpose of conducting an investigation.
She said the operation was conducted and the entire amount of the trap money was recovered from the target, and registered at the local police station. It was later booked out by investigators.
Mgolodela said, on July 8, 2011, the original case docket – which necessitated the police action – was allocated to Captain Rodney Tow-boy Mpapela, who was attached to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation team in Mthatha.
She said Mpapela was handed the cash by the then unit commander.
On March 10, 2016, the case related to the cash in question was withdrawn by the State and the unit commander handed over the exhibit to Mpapela, who had to return it to the finance office.
The money never reached its intended destination.
Mgolodela said, at the time, Mpapela was adamant the money in question was not in his possession.
“Information related to the transgression was received in 2020, by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation for probing, which subsequently led to his arrest on June 28, 2021. He appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on the same day and was released on R5 000 bail,” she said.
The matter against Mpapela has been postponed until October 8, for sentencing.
IOL