Decade-long corruption case: Former Kouga official sentenced for accepting R48,400 in bribes

Thursheus Edin Fabian Snyders, a former senior official at the Kouga Local Municipality (KLM), was convicted of corruption and accepting bribes at the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, more than a decade after his involvement in the crime.

Between 2012 and 2014, when he was responsible for municipal procurement processes as a Senior Administrative Officer for Auxiliary Services at the Municipality, he unlawfully accepted R48,400 in bribes from WOOA Telecomms CC in exchange for securing favourable business deals for the company.

In return, he "manipulated the procurement procedures and ensured the company received unfair advantages, including preferential treatment in tender processes and early payment of invoices for contracts to maintain telecommunication"

The police further revealed that he also acted in collusion with Derval Coral Rust and Werner Rust, representatives from WOOA Telecomms, to influence the awarding of municipal tenders, "some of which were ultimately cancelled because of fraudulent activities".

During his trial, it was heard that he had no prior criminal record. His case has been remanded to April 14, 2025 for sentencing.

The court has ordered a probation officer's report, a correctional supervision report, and a pre-sentence report to be prepared ahead of the next hearing.

His co-accused, Derval Coral Rust and Werner Rust, are set to face trial on April 7, 2025, for their involvement in the fraudulent scheme.

Spokesperson Luxolo Tyali reaffirmed NPA's commitment to prosecuting those in positions of trust who abuse their authority for personal gain.

"The NPA remains committed to holding individuals in positions of trust accountable for their corrupt actions. This conviction sends a clear message that those who abuse their office for personal gain will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" Tyali said.

IOL News