The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday convicted Phanuel Mokomo, a former adjudicator at the permit section of the Department of Home Affairs, on one count of corruption.
The conviction stems from an investigation into the irregular issuance and approval of permits at the department.
During the department's internal investigations, Mokomo allegedly offered an internal investigator an amount of R10 000 to halt the probe into his activities.
The matter was reported to the Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) on 20 September 2018.
“An entrapment operation was authorised and executed in terms of Section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977. The operation culminated in Mokomo being caught in the act of offering the R10 000 gratification to the internal investigator of the DHA. He was arrested and charged with corruption.
“After numerous court appearances, Mokomo was found guilty of corruption on 27 November 2024,” said the DPCI in a statement.
The case was postponed to 18 February 2025 for sentencing.
“This conviction underscores the DPCI's commitment to combating corruption, particularly in cases that threaten the integrity of public institutions such as the Department of Home Affairs.
“The successful entrapment and prosecution demonstrate the importance of inter-agency collaboration in holding public officials accountable,” it said.
The Directorate commended the dedicated efforts of its members, the prosecution and the internal investigators at the Department of Home Affairs, whose collaboration was instrumental in achieving this conviction.
“The DPCI remains steadfast in its mission to root out corruption and ensure the integrity of public service delivery,” the DPCI said. – SAnews.gov.za
