Former SAPS employee jailed for corrupt traffic fine scheme

DISGRACED ex-police officer Ralston Petersen has been handed a six-year direct imprisonment sentence for corruption, fraud, forgery and defeating the ends of justice.

The Plettenberg Bay Regional Court had convicted Petersen on four counts of corruption, two counts of fraud, forgery and defeating the administration of justice.

His case was set down for plea and trial due to commence between October 6-9, 2025, but Petersen pleaded guilty by way of Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Act on October 7.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Western Cape Eric Ntabazalila said the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently.

Petersen was a SAPS employee for 16 years. He worked as a court orderly at the time of the crimes on April 10, 2020 when he approached Izaakir Choonara, who was issued with a R3000 traffic fine for breach of Covid-19 regulations while travelling on the N2 highway close to Sedgefield.

Senior State Advocate Delano Coerecius, of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit in George, told the court that Petersen informed the complainant that ‘he can sort me out’ by quashing the traffic fine in exchange for money. The complainant did not pay on the day. The two later met on September 21 and 22 of that year where they discussed two additional fines.

It was here that Petersen accepted R800 as payment of the fines.

The NPA said Petersen further produced three additional fines and requested an additional payment of R600.

“Between September  28, 2020 and October 7, 2020, the accused prepared written representations on behalf of the complainant and submitted them to the prosecutor who was dealing with traffic offences at the time. The accused forged the complainant’s signature as if it were his and informed the prosecutor that he was merely assisting the complainant. He manipulated the traffic fines by inserting handwritten sums as if they were a reduction, thereby misleading the complainant into paying these reduced sums. In truth, the court did reduce the fines following a legal process,” said the NPA.

Coerecius argued that Petersen deliberately exploited the complainant’s fear of legal consequences and lack of knowledge or proper payment procedures.

He repeatedly requested cash payments, falsely claiming they were required to resolve traffic-related offences, said Coerecius.

Ntabazalila welcomed the sentence, saying the NPA recommitted itself to prioritise the prosecution of corruption cases, particularly those committed by public servants and law enforcement officers who are expected to uphold the rule of law, including fighting corruption.

Cape Times