Makana municipality has confirmed that a municipal employee who was implicated in an extortion case has been suspended.
Makana municipality has confirmed that a municipal employee who was implicated in an extortion case has been suspended.
In December, Grocott's Mail reported that the extortion case against a municipal employee who allegedly tried to solicit a bribe from a resident would be investigated by the Hawks.
The employee, who works in the town planning department and whose name is known to Grocott's Mail, allegedly tried to extort money from a citizen who had applied to purchase land in Makana.
The case was opened with the Grahamstown police on 9 November last year.
After months of silence, the municipality confirmed this week that the employee in question has been suspended.
Makana municipality's acting municipal manager Thembinkosi Myalato could not comment further because the matter is still under investigation.
In November last year Grocott's Mail learned from a reliable source that the person who opened the case had applied to purchase land in 2007 – but had heard nothing until he made a follow-up visit to the municipality.
On 15 October, the man went to the municipality to enquire about his application, the source said, and met an employee in the town planning department.
According to the would-be landowner, the employee asked him for a loan of R20 000.
This, the employee allegedly said, would ensure that his application was successful.
At the time National Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko confirmed that the organisation had taken over the investigation, explaining that cases of this nature fall under their jurisdiction.
He said nobody was arrested at the time.
Attempts to get comment from Ramaloko this week were unsuccessful.
