Police officers, including a Colonel and a Lieutenant Colonel, are set to face prosecution in connection with a corruption case that dates back to July 4, 2021.
On that day, at approximately 4:00 am, a Chinese national and his father were stopped along Neethling Street in Meyerton, Vaal, by officers driving an unmarked white Ford double cab. The officers accused the pair of unlawfully selling liquor during the lockdown. Despite a search of their vehicle yielding no illegal items, the complainant was forcibly escorted to his liquor store.
Upon arrival, the officers were joined by other members of the police. Alcohol worth R600 000 was confiscated from the store but was never recorded in the SAPS 13 register. Additionally, R700 000 in cash was allegedly stolen in the presence of the complainant and his father.
The police officers reportedly damaged the store’s video surveillance system and stole the hard drive, unaware that a backup of the footage existed. During the ordeal, the complainant and his father were handcuffed. The officers then arrested the complainant and his father, accusing them of attempting to bribe the police with R3 000 – a charge that later proved to be false.
A case of theft, corruption, extortion and malicious damage to property was subsequently opened and referred to the Gauteng Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit. Following a thorough investigation, the case docket was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who ruled that all implicated officers should be prosecuted.
Summonses have been issued for the officers to appear at the Vereeniging Magistrate Court on January 23, 2025. On November 28, 2024, the summonses were served, and the officers were formally processed.
Story by SAPS
