Johannesburg Police Clerk Sentenced to 8 Years for Bribery and Destroying Case Docket

Vasvanthan Govender, a police clerk in Johannesburg, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison by the Specialised Commercial Crime Court for accepting a R3,500 bribe to destroy a culpable homicide case docket.

Govender was found guilty of contravening a section of the corruption activities law, defeating the administration of justice, and impersonating an officer.

As part of his duties, Govender had access to dockets and was responsible for ensuring they were allocated to and from other units, assigning new case dockets to investigating officers, and forwarding fingerprints to Local Criminal Record Centres. The Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, confirmed that Govender appeared in court on Friday for corruption relating to the disappearance of the docket.

Why this matters: Govender's actions undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system and the principle of equal treatment under the law. His conduct denied the family of the deceased the right to access justice and perpetuated a culture of impunity for those with wealth and power.

The prosecutor stated that Govender's actions "undermined the criminal justice system and the right to equality before the law, denying the family of the deceased the right to access justice." The court emphasized that Govender's conduct proved that the system favors the wealthy and guilty better than the poor and innocent, fostering a culture of impunity for the affluent and powerful.

Key Takeaways

• Police clerk Vasvanthan Govender sentenced to 8 years for accepting R3,500 bribe.
• Govender guilty of corruption, defeating justice, and impersonating an officer.
• Govender's actions undermined criminal justice system and denied family justice.
• Court emphasized system favors wealthy and guilty over poor and innocent.
• Govender's conduct fostered a culture of impunity for the affluent and powerful.