Former SAPS officer sentenced to prison for accepting bribes

A former SAPS officer has been sentenced to eight years in prison for accepting a R5 000 bribe in exchange for facilitating an investigation in Alberton.

Former Colonel Gregory Beck was sentenced to prison by the Special Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge for a crime he committed while on active duty.

“The case against Beck arose from a complaint made to the Provincial Commissioner in December 2014 regarding the mishandling of a case by the SAPS in Vereeniging. It emerged that Beck, then an active civil servant, had demanded a bribe of R5 000 to ensure the proper conclusion of the investigation.

“The complainant, who initially promised to provide the requested amount at a later date, reported Beck’s corruption claim to the SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit. In response, the Director of Public Prosecutions office in Johannesburg approved an entrapment operation to catch the accused red-handed,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement.

The NPA said the operation began in March 2015, when the complainant and police officials met with Beck, where “during this meeting the complainant handed over R5 000, following which Beck was immediately arrested and the money recovered from him”. .

“Although Beck pleaded not guilty, Senior State’s Attorney Terrence Zitha presented compelling evidence establishing the defendant’s involvement in this white-collar crime. Lawyer Zitha argued for a harsh sentence, stating that a strong example should be set to deter similar behavior in the future.

“In imposing the sentence, the court acknowledged Beck’s exceptional record of previous service in the SAPS but emphasized that his criminal actions were motivated by greed.

“The court decided that the necessary punishment should be given for betraying the trust placed in him as a public official. “This belief underlines the NPA’s ongoing commitment to combating corruption at all levels of society and reinforcing the importance of accountability in the public service,” he said. SAnews.gov.za