A High Court judge and a prominent church leader are among four people arrested on Tuesday night in a major corruption and money-laundering operation led by the Hawks.
The arrests are linked to a heated succession dispute within a high-profile church currently before the High Court in Pretoria. Investigators allege the judge accepted a bribe in exchange for delivering a ruling favourable to one of the warring factions.
According to the Hawks, a financial investigation uncovered a money trail involving millions of rand allegedly circulated among the accused to influence the court outcome.
All four suspects are expected to appear before the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria, where they will face charges related to corruption and money-laundering.