Musina Regional Court has handed down 15-year direct imprisonment sentences to Nthapeleng Adler Munyai, 47, ex-manager of Pamdozi Cargo International CC Clearing Agent, and Tsumbedzo Priscilla Nemangani Mashito, 47, former SARS Customs External Verification Officer.
The convictions encompass charges of fraud, forgery, and corruption linked to an incident on March 14, 2016, involving unauthorized clearance of a truck carrying semi-manufactured tobacco valued over R6 million from Zimbabwe.
The truck was initially stopped by a Road Traffic Management Cooperation (RTMC) officer at the Musina Weighbridge due to mismatched registration and license details, raising suspicions about the cargo.
Despite off-duty calls for inspection and Munyai’s attempts to bribe officials with up to R200,000, the truck was eventually inspected at the BBR Customs ramp.
Mashito, reporting back from leave and having swapped shifts, was implicated in facilitating the truck’s passage without proper clearance, misleading her employer, SARS, about the transaction’s handling.
The case was pursued by Advocate Malope Maponya of the Specialized Tax Unit, drawing on testimonies from various customs and clearing officials.
The court found the factors in the case to heavily outweigh any mitigating circumstances, leading to the substantial sentences.
Additionally, the tobacco-laden truck and its trailers were forfeited to the state.
Advocate Ivy Thenga, Director of Public Prosecutions, praised the sentence as a strong deterrent and highlighted the integrity shown by government officials who resisted corruption.
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