09 January 2025
By HMR News Updates
The Hawks' Priority Crime Specialised Investigation and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit have successfully secured a forfeiture order of R145,100. The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court of South Africa, Mbombela, granted the order on Tuesday, 07 January 2025.
The forfeiture follows the arrest of Sambulo Bruce Tshabalala, commonly known as Sam Tshabalala, in 2020 on charges of fraud and corruption. During his arrest by the Nelspruit-based Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, Tshabalala’s Mercedes Benz pickup was seized, and he was also found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. He was granted bail after appearing in court.
While on bail, Tshabalala allegedly attempted to bribe a senior Hawks officer to secure the release of his vehicle and have the case against him dismissed. He was arrested again in Middelburg by the Middelburg and Nelspruit-based Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit for corruption, as he was about to pay R122,600 to the officer. An additional R22,500 was found in his bag at the time of his arrest. After appearing in court in Middelburg, Tshabalala was released on bail once more.
However, Tshabalala has since failed to appear in court, leading to the issuance of a warrant for his arrest. The Hawks are currently working to secure his attendance in court.
Stay tuned to HMR News Updates for more on this developing story.
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