Bribe: traffic cop arrested

A NELSON Mandela Bay traffic officer, arrested minutes after allegedly accepting a R400 bribe on Sunday afternoon, was released on warning yesterday after appearing in the Uitenhage Magistrate's Court.

Traffic officer Vuyani Totoyi, 40, was nabbed in Despatch after allegedly threatening to arrest a motorist unless he coughed up the money.

Three traffic officials, who asked not to be named, said Totoyi was the brother of suspended traffic head Hamilton Totoyi, but it could not be confirmed.

Hamilton was suspended three weeks ago pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct, insubordination and bungling a licensing tender which resulted in R10-million in traffic fine losses.

Asked for comment yesterday, Hamilton said: "I have been on suspension and I don't know who was arrested. But I have a brother named Vuyani and he is a traffic officer in the [Bay]."

Warrant Officer Gerda Swart said the motorist, whose name police do not want to give out in case he is victimised, was pulled off on the Swartkops Road between Perseverance and Swartkops at about 1pm on Sunday afternoon.

Totoyi allegedly asked the man to "make me smile".

"It is alleged that the traffic officer told the motorist that his trailer tyres were smooth.

"The matter was then disputed and the traffic officer allegedly told him to make him smile," she said.

"At the time, the motorist said he had no money on him and told the traffic officer he could go home to fetch the money and then meet him in Main Road, Despatch."

The motorist collected the money and went to the Despatch police station where he reported the incident and officers wrote down the serial numbers of the notes.

"A sting operation was then set up and the traffic officer was allegedly paid while waiting in his vehicle.

"The police officers then pulled the traffic officer off the road and arrested him when the money was found inside his car," she said. - Gareth Wilson