Staff Reporter
The Bloemfontein Magistrates Court has granted a Durban-based attorney bail after he made a first appearance this week facing charges of corruption after offering a bribe to a Free State High Court official.
Edward Abraham, 37, was released on R1 500 bail when he appeared in court on Wednesday.
Hawks provincial spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo says it is alleged that on June 10, 2021 Abraham approached a High Court clerk in Bloemfontein and asked him to fast-track the signing of some default judgment documents.
“He offered the complainant an amount of R100 per document whereas the submission or services requested by the attorney (are offered free of charge),” said Singo.
The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption investigation team in Bloemfontein.
“An operation was conducted and executed on Monday, 18 August 2021 which led to the arrest of Abraham after paying an amount of R200 to the complainant for two default judgment documents. An amount of R200 and a cellphone were seized during the arrest,” he added.
The case was postponed to October 4 for further investigation.
Meanwhile, a police officer appeared before the Harrismith Magistrates Court on Friday facing charges of corruption.
Madraai Edson Luvhimbi, 52, was arrested in Pretoria by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team from Bethlehem on Thursday.
It is alleged that on October 27 last year, Luvhimbi, a warrant officer based at the police training division in Pretoria, stayed at a guest house in Harrismith for official duties where he paid R630 per night.
About a week later on November 2, he submitted a fraudulent claim of R950 per night instead of the R630 per night that he paid.
The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation in Bethlehem for further investigation, culminating in the arrest of Luvhimbi.
The case has been postponed to October 8 and the accused is out on R2 000 bail.