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Mpumalanga Cops in Court for Multi-Million Rand Theft and Justice Defeat

Published November 17, 2024
3 months ago

In a stunning breach of trust, four Mpumalanga police officers, including three men and one woman, are to face the full might of the law as they make their first appearance in the Nelspruit Magistrates Court on charges of theft and defeating the ends of justice. Their arraignment on Friday, November 15, 2024, comes off the back of a joint sting operation involving the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation, Serious Organised Crime Investigation, and Mpumalanga Crime Intelligence units.





The intricate fabric of the crime began to unravel on November 14, 2024, when the squad of officers from the Barberton detectives unit executed a search at a local Zama Zama paymaster's residence. During the search, they unearthed R1.8 million in cash, secreted away inside a wardrobe. However, instead of following due process, it is alleged the officers seized the money.


In a further act of impropriety, the paymaster's son, present during the search, was taken to the local police station and detained for five hours without any official record of the money or a case docket being filed. The officers left the station with the cash in tow, only to return with a meagre R200,000 after Crime Intelligence intervened and demanded their presence back at the station.


The stark discrepancy between the amounts led the son of the paymaster to lodge a formal complaint of theft against the officers. The subsequent arrests were a stark and unequivocal message from the authorities, with the Major General of the Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Gerber, commending the prompt action taken by the team to detain the corrupt officials. He stated emphatically that the Hawks are committed to investigating and prosecuting any and all forms of crime impartially and without hesitation.


As the accused await the court's ruling, the community is left reeling from the shocking conduct of its entrusted law enforcers. The Major General concluded by sternly cautioning all police members to stay clear of corruption, asserting that such actions stain the integrity of the police service and will not be tolerated.


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