ALBERTON: 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 by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge for the crime committed while he was on active duty.
According to South African Government News Agency, the case against Beck stemmed from a complaint filed in December 2014 with the office of the Provincial Commissioner regarding the mishandling of a case by SAPS in Vereeniging. It was revealed that Beck, then an active officer, demanded a bribe of R5 000 to ensure the investigation was concluded properly.
The complainant, who initially promised to provide the requested amount later, reported Beck’s corrupt demand to the SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit. In response, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Johannesburg approved an entrapment operation to catch the accused in the act, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statemen
t.
The NPA stated the operation was conducted in March 2015, during which the complainant and police officials met with Beck. During this meeting, the complainant handed over the R5 000, after which Beck was immediately arrested, and the money was recovered from him.
Although Beck pleaded not guilty, Senior State Advocate Terrence Zitha presented compelling evidence that established the accused’s participation in this white-collar crime. Advocate Zitha argued for a stringent sentence, stating that a strong example should be set to discourage similar conduct in the future.
In delivering the sentence, the court acknowledged Beck’s previously exceptional service record within the SAPS but emphasised that his criminal actions were motivated by greed. The court concluded that he should be punished accordingly for his betrayal of the trust placed in him as a public servant. This conviction underlines the NPA’s ongoing commitment to combating corruption at all levels of society and reinforcing the importance of a
ccountability in public service, the NPA said.