[ad_1]
By Sihle Mlambo 
1 hour ago
Johannesburg – The Pretoria Magistrates Court sentenced former CFO of Criminal Intelligence, Major General Solomon Lazarus, to 10 years in prison on corruption charges.
Lazarus had been involved in acquiring cars for criminal intelligence from Atlantis Motors, a service provider for the South African Police Service.
It did so through a SAPS front company, Universal Technical Enterprises CC. The nearby corporation was operated to purchase undercover vehicles to be used in undercover criminal intelligence projects.
UTE purchased several new and used vehicles from Atlantis Motors, which was owned by Jan Venter.
UTE created a special account that allowed Venter to allocate money taken from some transactions related to the sale of used vehicles, to the account and this money was intended to be used by Lázaro.
His co-defendant, Colonel Heine Johannes Barnard, was acquitted of all charges, while Lazarus was acquitted of theft and fraud charges.
Magistrate Adrian Bekker found Lazarus guilty of corruption for the dubious purchases of a KIA Picanto, a Nissan Murano, a Honda CBR motorcycle and a Honda TRX 250 All Terrain Vehicle (ATV).
“The court is truly satisfied that the facts regarding the Honda ATV prove corruption beyond a reasonable doubt, as alleged in the third count.
“The next vehicle is the KIA Picanto.
“If I look at the totality of the evidence on this particular aspect, the court rejects the defendant’s version as inherently improbable and, in fact, false and the court finds that, in fact, he received this particular vehicle without paying for it and the court then You expressly reject the version that this was added to the financing of the other vehicle.
“The defendant received a bonus worth R55 000.00, the KIA Picanto, it was an unjustifiable bonus and my reasoning is similar to the previous benefit in that the defendant at that time was a high public official and held a position of trust, was involved in the purchase of vehicles for Crime Intelligence from Atlantis Motors for more than 20 years, for more than R 69 million, ”the court said.
In the ruling, the court said that Lazaro should have acted with integrity since he was the person who, in the end, finally approved the purchases and held a vital position and they both knew it.
“He had to act, as a result, to distance himself from the approaches or offerings of the service providers. If you are willing to receive a vehicle worth about R 55,000 without paying for it, you clearly abused your position as a public servant, in relation to the service provider who is obviously trying to maintain your goodwill with some satisfaction.
“The gratuity is not justified and it is illegal. He was not entitled to it as a public official, and again I can affirm that he knew that by receiving this bonus he acted illegally, but nevertheless received it.
“It doesn’t matter if he did something for Atlantis or not as a result of the reward. It was delivered and received with the tacit understanding that it will confirm their relationship and that is the only reasonable inference I can draw from the facts, ”the ruling reads.
In the case of a Honda CBR15 motorcycle, which was purchased for the use of Lazarus’ son for his birthday in March 2011.
“The court is satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the facts regarding the Nissan 10 Murano demonstrated corruption beyond a reasonable doubt, as alleged in the third count.
“Finally, with respect to the Honda CBR125, it is not disputed that the CBR was selected by the defendant’s son and that he purchased it for his birthday in March 2011.
“It is also not disputed that the invoice for it was dated February 1, 2001, the amount R27 432.29 was paid from Barut’s account on February 28.
“In explaining the defendant’s guilty plea, he mentioned that he bought this vehicle for his son at Honda and was assisted by one, Barry.
“The court rejects the defendant’s version, taking into account the totality of the evidence, that there was a so-called credit or internal financing transaction, as false, unconvincing and not reasonably, possibly true.
“My conclusion regarding this particular motorcycle is that it was also an illegal and unjustified gratuity received by the defendant, worth R 27 432.29,” said Bekker.
MESS
[ad_2]
