Former SAPS CFO Solomon Lazarus sentenced to ten years for corruption

9 December 2020

The former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Crime Intelligence, Major General Solomon Lazarus, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Pretoria Regional Court earlier today.

This is after Lazarus, who was responsible for the Secret Service Account (SSA), was convicted of corruption valued at over R200 000.

Lazarus was involved in acquiring motor vehicles for crime intelligence from Atlantis Motors PTY LTD, a service provider for the front company of crime intelligence, Universal Technical Enterprises CC (UTE). Lazarus then derived benefit from 2006 to December 201, from money which belonged to the state for the purchase of the vehicles.

The conviction was based on the following gratifications:

1. The purchase of his daughter's R55 000 Kia Picanto;

2.The purchase of a Honda CBR for his son for R27 432;

3.The payment of a shortfall of R116 313; for the purchase of a Nissan Murano 3.5I v6 4X4 CVT vehicle for himself.

4. Purchase of a Honda ATV April 2009 to the value of R39 193 for himself, all of the benefits valued at a total of R237 939.

Magistrate Adriaan Bekker said corruption of members of the police could not be tolerated.

ID Head Advocate Hermione Cronje has welcomed the sentence. "Today, on International Anti-Corruption Day, we are pleased to have our very first conviction and sentencing since the inception of the ID," said Cronje.

Lazarus immediately launched an appeal against this sentence, which was granted.

Issued by Sindisiwe Twala, Investigating Directorate Spokesperson, 9 December 2020