FREE STATE – Two suspects aged 35 and 37 were arrested yesterday by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bloemfontein.

It is alleged that the two suspects who were working as Senior Admin Clerks at Warden Magistrates’ Court defrauded the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development third party funds received from the clients of the department. The suspects were entrusted to receive and bank the money for the Department. They then used some of the money that they were supposed to bank for their own benefit. The incident took place between the period of 2018 and 2020. As a result of this fraudulent activities, the Department of Justice was prejudiced and suffered a total loss of more than R1 million.

A case docket was registered and handed over to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bloemfontein for further investigation which culminated to the arrest of the duo yesterday, 01 June 2022.

The suspects are expected to appear before the Bethlehem Magistrates’ Court this morning where they will face charges of fraud, theft, forgery and uttering.

Source: South African Police Service