A police officer who went undercover to investigate alleged fraudulent activities at the Sunday's River municipal traffic department told the Gqeberha high court on Friday how easy it had been for her to obtain a falsified learner's licence.
Constable Amy Sweetland said that after initially meeting Rory Petrus at the traffic department in Kirkwood on October 31 2019, she had told Petrus she had a problem with her sight, and he had told her to return on December 5.
When she returned, she had given R1,000 to Petrus before pencilling in her answers for the learner's licence test, she said.
"[Petrus] explained that I should answer the questions with a light pencil and then wait in the venue until everyone had left.”
After completing the test, Sweetland said, she had waited until Petrus called her to the front.
He then allegedly took out a marking rubric and marked the test while erasing the incorrect answers.
Sweetland said she had deliberately written the test to fail, but Petrus had passed her.
Sweetland, along with her colleague, Constable Bennie Jordaan, had gone undercover to investigate the allegations that officials had been selling falsified or fake driver and learner licences.
Petrus, 36, along with Zoleka Zandile Nopote, 37, and Nonceba Conelia Jack, 41, earlier this week pleaded not guilty to 50 charges ranging from racketeering to fraud, corruption, forgery, the furnishing of false information and the unlawful issuance of learner's and driver's licences.
While Petrus and Jack opted not to enter plea explanations, Nopote spilt the beans on how the trio, along with Andrew Petrus and now deceased Ntomboxolo Lama, had allegedly flouted regulations to give out false or forged licences for financial gain.
Petrus Jnr, who held the position of a driver’s licence examiner, was also authorised to conduct eye tests and invigilate and mark learner’s and driver’s tests.
Nopote was temporarily employed as a filing clerk, and was authorised to conduct eye tests. He was also qualified as an examiner for driver’s licenses.
Jack, a senior traffic officer, was authorised to conduct eye tests, invigilate, mark and issue learner’s licences and examine driver’s tests.
According to the state, between December 2017 and March 2020, the accused colluded to form an illegal enterprise for the purpose of self-gratification by charging at least nine people amounts ranging between R1,000 for a forged eye test or falsified learner's licence, and up to R5,000 for a “combo deal”.
In total the trio are said to have pocketed more than R20,000.
They were arrested after the undercover police sting.
The trial continues.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.