Pretoria – Former Limpopo police detective, Thabo Maputla, who is serving a six-year-jail term for corruption, has been sentenced to six more years direct imprisonment for another unrelated case of corruption.
Maputla was paid a total of R4500 by four suspects, who he had told were paying bail money, but instead, he kept the money for himself.
Limpopo spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said Maputla has been sentenced for the second matter in the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
“On 25 August 2014, Maputla who was a detective warrant officer at SAPS Westerburg, summoned four suspects to the police station and informed them that he is investigating a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against them.
“When the suspects arrived at Westernburg police station, Maputla told them they were under arrest, but they can pay R500 each for bail,” Maluleke narrated.
The four suspects in the case then paid a total of R2 000 to Maputla while he kept them in the police holding cells.
“On the very same day, Maputla booked out one of the suspects for investigation and they went to his (suspect’s) house where he demanded a further R2 500 for bail from his wife. The money was paid to Maputla and they went back to Westernburg police station,” Maluleke said.
When the detective and the suspect arrived back at the police station, Maputla released all the four suspects and issued them with bail receipts of R500 each.
The matter was reported to the Hawks and Maputla was arrested after an investigation was conducted.
“The case against Maputla was investigated by the Hawks' serious corruption investigation. On 1 February 2023, the court found Maputla guilty of corruption.
“Maputla is currently serving six years jail term on another unrelated case of corruption. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently,” Maluleke said.
Meanwhile, provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Gopz Govender has commended the sentence imposed on Maputla.
“Let this be a deterrent to other police personnel who want to venture down the road of criminality, they will suffer the same consequences,” Govender said.
IOL