Judge, church leader among four arrested in alleged plot to influence High Court case

A High Court judge, a prominent church leader and two other suspects have been arrested by the Hawks on charges of corruption and money laundering linked to an alleged scheme to manipulate a civil case before the Pretoria High Court.

The group is expected to appear in the Pretoria Serious Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday morning.

The four, aged between 32 and 64, were taken into custody during a Hawks takedown operation on Tuesday night. According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the arrests stem from allegations that the presiding judge in the matter received gratification from the main accused in exchange for delivering a favourable judgment in a long-running succession dispute involving a well-known South African church.

Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said investigators uncovered what they describe as a multimillion-rand money trail between the accused, prompting warrants of arrest for all four suspects. The case is being driven by a prosecution-led investigation.

Acting DPCI head, Lt-Gen (acting) Siphosihle Nkosi, welcomed the arrests, saying they demonstrated the Hawks’ commitment to confronting corruption “at all levels”.

“The meticulous work by the Serious Corruption Investigation team, supported by our partners in the National Prosecuting Authority, reflects the strength of our collective resolve,” Nkosi said. “We will continue to pursue all those who abuse positions of trust and undermine the rule of law.”