Three police officers have been arrested on charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice, over an incident in Moletjie, Ga-Chokwe, in Limpopo province.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said that the three officers from Seshego police station appeared in Seshego Magistrate's Court on Monday, where they faced charges of corruption and obstruction of justice.
“The three officers are Sergeant Malatji Mpao Thabo, 44, Nkoana Khomotso James, 40, and Mabitsi Kgoroshi Jan, 47. Each of the accused was granted bail in the amount of R1,000,” Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba said that based on available information, the trio were arrested after allegedly visiting a residence in Moletjie, Ga-Chokwe, on August 9, 2021 where they pretended to be conducting genuine police operations.
“Clad in civilian attire, the officers falsely presented themselves as police officers from Pretoria, referencing the complainant's name and directing the family to contact him. Upon the complainant's return, the officers proceeded to search his bedroom and seized 235 sachets of Nyaope,” he said.
Afterwards, they demanded a payment in return for a reduced sentence, initially requesting R2,000, but the victim countered with an offer of R500.
“Unable to provide the full amount, the victim sought financial assistance from his family, who managed to raise the required funds.”
After the incident, the victim was apprehended and brought to Seshego police station, where he was pressured into paying a fine (J534) as an admission of guilt for an alleged illegal gambling offence.
“Subsequently, the complainant decided to open a case against the implicated police officials, leading to the transfer of the case to the Limpopo Provincial Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Investigation Unit for thorough examination,” Ledwaba added.
After the investigations, the three police officers were directly linked to the incident and subsequently taken into custody.
Meanwhile, Limpopo provincial commissioner of police, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has endorsed the arrests and issued a strong warning to police officers involved in corruption, emphasising that their misconduct will have consequences.
"If you no longer uphold integrity and honesty in serving our communities, kindly return our uniform,” Hadebe said.
Ledwaba further said that the case was postponed to July 8 for a regional court hearing and police investigations are still continuing.
IOL