Cape Town - A former state prosecutor from the Free State has been convicted and sentenced in the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate’s Court on charges of corruption and theft.
Nkululeko Theophilus Ngcana, 51, was arrested on February 14, 2021, by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bloemfontein.
According to the provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Captain Christopher Singo Ngcana, during September 2017, the prosecutor persuaded a suspect facing charges of operating a vehicle with a fraudulent licence disc to pay R600 to have the charges against him withdrawn.
The suspect agreed to pay Ngcana the money.
“Later, the suspect realised that Ngcana did not withdraw the charges against him as agreed. He then reported the matter to the senior public prosecutor,” Singo said.
In January 2020, Ngcana struck again and this time approached a police officer who was charged with reckless or negligent driving.
Ngcana was paid R500 to pay an admission of guilt on behalf of the officer.
However, he did not pay the money handed over to him.
“The police official received summonses to appear in court for failure to pay the admission of guilt fine. Upon inquiry at court, he found out that Ngcana did not pay. He also reported the matter to the senior public prosecutor,” Singo said.
The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation.
The court fined Ngcana R60 000 on a charge of corruption or five years imprisonment.
He was also fine R60 000 on a charge of theft or three years imprisonment.
The court ordered both sentences wholly suspended for five years on the condition Ngcana was not found guilty of the same offences during the period of suspension.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.