Cape Town - A photograph has surfaced showing ANC national executive member Tony Yengeni’s white Maserati without its front number plate, at the time its driver was arrested for alleged drunk driving.
The Italian sports car appears to be a “GranCabrio” coupé, and is seen between the CBD and Green Point, where Yengeni was arrested at 10.55pm on Sunday at the corner of Somerset and Dixon roads, according to the police.
Reports from Sunday night vary as to whether Yengeni was alone in the car when stopped or had a passenger.
After Yengeni had been tested on a hand-held Breathalyser, he was taken to have blood drawn to determine his blood alcohol level at the dedicated Shadow centre in Athlone.
It is understood his Maserati was then driven by a metro police officer to Cape Town central police station, where Yengeni spent the night.
Yengeni will have to wait a full six months until his court appearance on March 4, 2014, police reported. The delay is owing to massive backlogs at forensics laboratories.
This is not the first time Yengeni has been stopped for failing to display a number plate.
A Maserati driven by Yengeni was stopped in July last year in Cape Town for driving without a front number plate, and for an expired licence disc.
The city’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said at the time: “They pulled him off for not displaying his front number plate, and as they were preparing to give him a fine, they discovered that the vehicle registration on his window had actually expired.
“He produced the number plate, which they said he must fix immediately. He had an updated disc with him, but he had failed to display it, so they gave him a R500 fine and a R300 alternative fine.”
Smith was quoted last year as saying it was common for drivers to deliberately drive without number plates to avoid speed cameras, and often claimed their plates had “fallen off”.
But it appears Yengeni’s Maserati’s missing front number plate is common to Maseratis around the world - as the marque’s cars are not manufactured or sold with number plate holders.
On the Maserati-dedicated website www.maseratilife.com, this US owner’s gripe is typical: “Having just bought a gorgeous black coupé… my question is this: New Jersey requires a front licence plate… but the car currently doesn’t have one. As much as I hate to do so, I’ll have to mount one or keep getting tickets. Any suggestions on how to do this without drilling the front bumper?”
Cape Argus