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Did Telkom boss cheat with fake plates?

JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng - Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko is under investigation after being implicated in what appears to be a car licence cloning case, the City of Johannesburg admitted on Friday (July 25 2014).

City spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said: "Whatever is happening in terms of allegations about him [Maseko] being on the wrong side of the law is being investigated by the Johannesburg metro police department."

He could not, however, say what crime was being investigated.

"Everything [all questions] to do with the case should go to JMPD because the city is not an investigating agent," he said.

R30 000 TRAFFIC PENALTIES

Metro police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the case was not public information. "Any traffic offence or criminal charge against individuals is a matter between the individual and the state until the case enters court, then it becomes public."

The Johannesburg Star reported on Friday that Maseko was driving around using his previous vehicle's registration number. That vehicle, also a Range Rover, kept its number plates when sold and was now listed to its new owner, businessman Mabena Motshoane.

The Star's report indicated that traffic penalties totalling R30 000 had, because of the incorrect number plates, been sent to Motshoane. Along with toll-road accounts - bill that would have been peanuts to Maseko, given that he is said to earn nearly R1 000 000 a month.

Motshoane, The Star reported, saw Maseko's vehicle and the duplicated number plates  by chance on a Pretoria freeway. He stopped the car are realised he knew its driver and later opened a case with the metro police and a case of fraud at Booysens police station, according to the paper.

Metro police officers went to Maseko's home but were denied permission to inspect his car. An allegation allegedly followed that city manager Trevor Fowler had told the police to lay off.

PAPER HAS THE PROOF

According to the newspaper, the officers were instructed to leave Maseko's Houghton home after allegedly being told that city manager Trevor Fowler had intervened in the matter. Spokesman Modigoane denied that.

When, a few days later, metro police did inspect Maseko's Range Rover the plates had been changed. The Star, however, said it had seen the fines, photographs and video of Maseko driving the car with Motshoane's number plates.

Maseko admitted to The Star that he had contacted Fowler. "...I was scared and nervous and the only person I could think of was Trevor Fowler. All Mr Fowler did was refer me to someone in the JMPD who could assist me."

Telkom spokesman Pynee Chetty declined an opportunity to comment.
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