Cape Town — The Hawks have arrested four police officers for pocketing cash from a Cash-In-Transit (CIT) heist while a senior police official was also arrested for allegedly making fake relocation allowance claims.
The Hawks revealed that the first incident saw four officers pocket a grand total of R1 million cash which had been recovered by members of the public. The money the officers claimed was from a CIT in Sasolburg in 2022.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, the four SAPS in the first incident were arrested in Vereeniging and Welkom by the Serious Corruption Investigation Unit. They were part of the Kroonstad K9 Unit and Zamdela SAPS.
“Instead of registering the recovered money in the SAPS store, these police officials pocketed the money. After a meticulous investigation by the Welkom Serious Corruption team, a warrant for their arrest was issued and executed on June 29,” he said.
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In the second incident, a female Lieutenant Colonel (47) was arrested for fraud. The officer was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Upon resuming duties in her new post, she reportedly travelled in an official vehicle to and from work between Bethlehem and Kestell. Months later, she allegedly submitted a claim for resettlement costs to the amount of over R19 000.
The matter was referred to members of the Serious Corruption Investigation Unit based in Bloemfontein who presented a strong case before the court. As a result, a warrant for her arrest was issued. She will appear before the Kestell Magistrates` Court on 12 July 2023.
According to TimesLIVE, Free State head of the Hawks Maj-Gen Mokgadi Bokaba said she “is dismayed by the behaviour of members who did not think twice about betraying their oath”.
“We are relentless in our efforts to root out corruption, including within our ranks,” she added.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
