SowetanLive reports that a Tembisa Hospital employee and a Hawks official arrested in connection with a R100,000 bribery solicitation attempt have been granted R5,000 bail each. The duo are accused of attempting to bribe a Hawks investigating officer with R100,000.
Hospital employee Zacharia Tsisele and Hawks warrant officer Sgt Papi Tsie appeared at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on corruption and gratification charges. Tsisele is being investigated by the Special Investigating Unit for allegedly receiving unlawful payments from various service providers at the hospital between January 2020 and September 2023. The unit has since recovered R13.5m from him. According to the charge sheet, the bribery incident allegedly took place on 23 November in Pretoria. Tsie allegedly approached a Hawks investigating officer, indicating that Tsisele was prepared to pay them both to assist them. Tsisele and Tsie arrived at Menlyn Mall in a police vehicle. The state alleges that the accused offered R100,000 to the investigating officer to make the case disappear.
In their affidavits, Chisele said he could only afford bail of R5,000, while Tsie said he could only afford R3,000. Chisele is an operations manager at the Tembisa hospital and earns R39,000 a month. Tsie earns R15,000. Chisele told the court that he has no previous convictions, no pending cases, no outstanding warrants and je intended to plead not guilty. The state did not oppose bail. The case was postponed to 27 February for further investigation.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Koena Mashale at SowetanLive
- Read too, Hawks officer granted bail amid tears in R100,000 Tembisa Hospital bribe case, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
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