VIRGINIA, Free State – A 26-year-old suspect was apprehended by the Hawk’s Serious Corruption Investigation (SCI) based in Welkom and charged for corruption, following an undercover operation conducted in Virginia on Monday, 2 February.
On 28 January the Welkom SCI received information about alleged corruption involving a plant manager at the Bloemhoedskraal Solar Plant in Virginia. The suspect is alleged to have extorted monthly cash payments of R10 000 from a sub-contractor over four months, threatening to remove the contractor’s machinery if payments were not made, with a total amount of R50 000 involved.
Preliminary investigations by the project manager revealed additional alleged victims subjected to similar extortion. He also ascertained that the suspect had recently bought a second-hand vehicle for R130 000 in cash.
The matter was reported to Welkom SCI for further investigation, and an undercover operation in terms of Section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act was authorised by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on 30 January.
During the arrest, two Samsung cellular phones and cash amounting to R10 000 were confiscated.
The suspect is expected to appear before Virginia Magistrates’ Court on 4 February to face charges of corruption.
