South Australian police have smashed two corruption rings within the state's Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI), with 32 people charged.
Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said the alleged corruption occurred in the department's customer service area and that of the 32 people charged, five were departmental employees.
"These arrests on serious charges demonstrate criminal corruption involving public officials, including those who might try to bribe them, will not go undetected," he said in a statement on Sunday.
"Police allege two organised and systematic corruption rings were taking bribes to illegally manipulate the DTEI computer system to remove defects on motor vehicles, remove the wrecked status of motor vehicles and alter driver licence records so that people could obtain driving licences they were not qualified for.
"Owners of defected vehicles were identified and/or approached for corruption purposes through websites, car clubs and car race meetings at Mallala.
"Dangerous, unroadworthy vehicles were unlawfully returned to the roads, bypassing lawful process designed to protect road users."
The police anti-corruption branch's initial investigation began with a departmental employee who was allegedly taking bribes to manipulate departmental computer records. A member of an outlaw motorcycle gang was allegedly involved.
That - now former - DTEI staff member has been charged with 25 corruption offences.
The statement said the five DTEI public officers faced a total of 71 corruption offences, while another public officer was apprehended for making a false statement to the registrar of motor vehicles and 26 people were charged with a total of 73 corruption offences - predominantly for bribing a public officer.
All vehicles that had their defects illegally cleared have been re-defected by police.
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