A vehicle examiner has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of R10,000 for issuing fraudulent roadworthy certificates in the Atlantis Magistrate Court. Kgomotso Masindi, 45, a vehicle testing station official, was convicted on charges of fraud and corruption after it was found that she had issued roadworthy certificates to vehicles that were never tested.
The Western Cape spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, said Masindi was found guilty on two charges of fraud and corruption related to transactions conducted at the Jeffreys Bay testing station in the Eastern Cape between 2016 and 2018. According to Hani, the information was only sent via WhatsApp by the owners to the middlemen, who in turn would forward the information to the accused, who in return, accepted gratification.
Fraudulent Certificates and Corruption
The court further declared Masindi unfit to possess a firearm. Another suspect was implicated in the matter, however, the charges against the suspect were officially withdrawn. The suspect who was released was arrested by members of the Western Cape Serious Corruption Investigation team of the Hawks.
How the Scam Worked
It is reported that motor vehicles certified on the eNatis system as roadworthy were never physically presented and tested. The following are some key points about the scam:
- The owners of the vehicles would send the required information to the middlemen via WhatsApp.
- The middlemen would then forward the information to Masindi.
- Masindi would then issue the roadworthy certificates without testing the vehicles.
- The owners of the vehicles would then use the fraudulent certificates to register their vehicles.
The Hawks have been working to combat corruption and fraud in the vehicle testing industry. For more information on the Hawks and their work, visit the South African Police Service website.
