Ex-Home Affairs Official Busted R10,000 Bribe Backfires in Internal Probe

Phanuel Mokomo, once an adjudicator in the Home Affairs permit division, was convicted of corruption by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday.

Mokomo’s downfall began when he tried to silence an internal investigator with a R10,000 bribe, hoping to bury the probe into his shady dealings. The bold move backfired, leading to his conviction and a spotlight on integrity within the department.

A former Home Affairs permit adjudicator has been found guilty of corruption after a failed attempt to halt an internal investigation. The official’s R10,000 bribe was flatly rejected by a determined investigator, leading to a conviction that underscores the triumph of integrity over corruption.

According to Gauteng Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, Phanuel Mokomo was being investigated internally for suspicious activities tied to the irregular approval and issuance of permits within the department.

In September 2018, the R10,000 bribe attempt was swiftly reported to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), triggering their involvement in the case.

“An entrapment operation was approved and carried out under Section 252A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977,” revealed Colonel Katlego Mogale.

“The operation led to Mokomo being caught in the act, attempting to offer R10,000 to a Department of Home Affairs investigator,” Colonel Katlego Mogale confirmed.

Mokomo was promptly apprehended and slapped with corruption charges following the failed bribery attempt, according to Colonel Katlego Mogale.

Following multiple court hearings, Mokomo was officially convicted of corruption on Wednesday, marking the end of a lengthy legal process.