Rustenburg - Three Ekurhuleni metro police officers were arrested for theft, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.
Police watchdog the Independent Police Investigative Directorate said the three constables stationed at the Boksburg specialised unit for truck hijackings were arrested on Friday.
“It is alleged that on July 6 last year, just before 12pm, three (Ekurhuleni metro police) officers went for a search operation at Smokes and Kings supermarket in Rynfield, Benoni, and confiscated boxes of cigarettes to the value of R25 000.
“They loaded the cigarettes into one of the metro police vans while an employee (of the supermarket) was taken into another metro police car,” said Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping.
She said the three officers allegedly disconnected the surveillance camera inside the shop while confiscating the cigarettes.
“The officers then drove to Northmead with the supermarket employee on the pretext that he was arrested.
“They demanded money and his cellphone (in return) for his release. He allegedly gave them the R200 notes he had in his possession and was then dropped off in Northmead near the freeway.”
The officers reportedly booked in two boxes of cigarettes at the Benoni police station. Their warning statements state that the goods were found at an unknown property, and that the owner was also unknown, because he ran away when he saw them.
The officers had also failed to open a case, as they had alleged, Suping said.
Meanwhile, the Hawks in the Free State said a prosecutor had been arrested for demanding a bribe of R5 000 in exchange for withdrawing a criminal case.
“It is alleged that on February 26 the prosecutor approached the complainant and demanded R5 000 from him so that he could withdraw two criminal cases against the complainant and his wife.
“The complainant alerted the Hawks. On Thursday, March 9 the complainant met with the prosecutor in his office at Hennenman Magistrates’ Court, where he paid him R5 000.
“Immediately after the prosecutor had received the R5 000 from the complainant, he was arrested,” said Free State Hawks spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo.
IOL