A SARS employee, Malatse Kolokoto was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court for committing corruption at the OR Tambo International Airport in August 2019. Kolokoto was convicted of corruption and contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, in that he, as Public Officer, accepted gratification from a Hong-Kong citizen, Kin-Man Tran, in exchange for assisting him in dealing in goods, contrary to the provisions of the Customs Act.
Tran pleaded guilty to non-declaration of commercial goods and was sentenced to a fine. As part of Tran’s sentence, the Rolex wristwatches he intended to export, were forfeited to the State. Kolokoto was seen via closed-circuit television cameras, meeting with Tran at International departures. During the said meeting the accused received documentation from Tran and although off duty, headed to a Customs workstation and stamped the documentation. The accused returned and handed the documentation back to Tran. Later, Tran was apprehended with Rolex wristwatches from his backpack, without having a declaration form.
Pleading with the court to impose a sentence that will serve to deter public officers from accepting gratification and committing acts of corruption, Senior State Adv. Marius Oosthuizen argued that Kolokoto’s s conduct as Public Officer, was to be judged on a higher standard and that his actions of accepting gratification in return for the incomplete and irregular exercise of his duties, required an appropriate sanction. He argued that Malatse abused his position of authority to enrich himself at the cost of the State.
The NPA commends Adv. Oosthuizen of the NPA’s tax unit, for ensuring that justice was served in the prosecution of Kolokoto for his corrupt conduct.
