NORTHERN CAPE: Otsile Shadrack Gaegoroge aged 49, made a brief appearance before Kuruman Magistrates’ Court today on allegations of corruption and attempt to defeat the ends of justice.
He was arrested on Monday, 24 June 2024 as an additional suspect in the ongoing fraud and corruption case where it is alleged that in the year 2021, former Captain Nogaga attached to DPCI Serious Organised Crime Investigation submitted and recommended an informer’s reward claim of R100 000-00. The police’s claim committee approved a payment of R80 000-00 to the benefit of the said police informer. It is further alleged that the accused failed to hand the full amount of R80 000-00 to the informer but rather paid the informer an amount of R5000-00 and paid another R5000-00 to a police Sergeant who is stationed at Kuruman police station and kept the rest of the money amounting to R70 000-00 for himself. The police Sergeant Selo (42) is an accomplice and has been charged alongside the main accused.
Gaegoroge was initially a section 204 witness, the Prosecuting team charged him with corruption and defeating the course of justice or attempting to do so after noting changes on his initial statement.
A probe by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team revealed that the informer’s reward claim was fraudulent. The so called “informer”, a 37-year-old accused, allegedly recruited by the Sergeant was also charged for defeating the ends of justice connected to the main charge.
Gaegoroge who is the fourth accused on this matter was released on R1000 bail and case is postponed to 15 and 16 August 2024 for a decision.
