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Four Crime Intelligence officers appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court in connection with corruption charges. (Phill Magakoe/Gallo Images)
- Four Crime Intelligence officers have been arrested on corruption and other charges.
- The officers allegedly assaulted a man and transferred R180 000 from his bank account to one of theirs.
- Two civilians linked to the case have also handed themselves over.
The Hawks arrested four Johannesburg Crime Intelligence officers on corruption and other charges over the weekend, and two civilians handed themselves over on Monday in connection with the same allegations.
The charges stem from an incident in February when a man registered a case at the Honeydew police station, according to Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha.
The victim said he was approached by the police officers dressed in civilian clothes on 30 January who later told him that they were investigating him for fraud.
The officers allegedly took the man to his house in Fourways, assaulted him and took his phones. They then allegedly transferred R180 000 from his bank account into an account belonging to one of the accused.
"They then threatened him before they dropped him off in Roodepoort," Ramovha said.
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The officers, all constables, were arrested over the weekend.
They are:
- Macdonald Musundwa Nethavhani, 31,
- Ayanda Meya, 29,
- Fhumulani Netsianda, 31, and
- Wisani Ngobeni, 31.
On Monday, two civilians, Ramiel Singh, 37, and Mphoto Cyril Sehoene, 28, also handed themselves over to Hawks investigators in connection with the allegations.
News24 understands that one of the civilians is a bank employee, while the other owns the account into which the stolen funds were transferred.
They appeared in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of corruption, extortion, kidnapping and assault.
"They were granted R3 000 bail each. The case was postponed to 30 September 2024, pending further investigation," said Ramovha.
Gauteng Hawks head, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, said "police officers are supposed to uphold the law and protect the public".
Kadwa added:
We will spare no resources to ensure that those who involve themselves in criminal activities face the full might of the law. Let this serve as a warning to those who think they can abuse the resources of the state for nefarious purposes.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu "noted with concern and disappointment" the arrests and described the incident as shocking.
"Let me be unequivocally clear: Corruption within our police force will not be tolerated. The actions of these individuals are a betrayal of the public's trust and a violation of the very principles that the SAPS stands for - honour, integrity, and service. The worst thing is that these are members of the Crime Intelligence unit," he said.
"We condemn their criminal activity in the strongest terms they deserve. Such conduct is not only criminal but deeply dishonourable. We will not allow any further erosion of confidence that the public has in law enforcement agencies."
Mchunu added that internal disciplinary processes would be instituted against the police officers.
"As the Minister of Police, I assure the public that we will continue to root out corruption wherever it may exist within our ranks. We remain committed to building a police service that is trusted by the people it serves, and we will not rest until justice is served."
