Cape Town — Two former police officers, Lehlogonolo Tsagane and Jabulani Ngobeni, were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court after being found guilty of corruption.
While on-duty, the two cops, dressed in full police uniform, received a tip-off about a suspect branding clothes with the South African Police Service (SAPS) logo. Instead of making an arrest, they demanded R1.5 million from the business owner, Maxwell Chiyangwa, TimesLIVE reported.
After threatening him with arrest, they settled for R14 000. The officers told Chiyanga to transfer the money to Tsagane’s wife’s account and escorted her to the Woodmead shopping complex to withdraw the funds.
Chiyanga had reported the incident to the authorities, and the officers were reported to hand themselves over to the Johannesburg Central police station in September 2022. During the trial, Prosecutor Rhyme Nchabeleng argued that the officers had abused their power and trust, exploiting their positions to extort money from Chiyangwa.
LAW ENFORCERS SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR BREAKING THE LAW @NPA_Prosecutes
The Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Palmridge handed down a 10-year prison sentence to two South African Police Service (SAPS) officers, Lehlogonolo Tsagane (47), and Jabulani Ngobeni (47),…
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) June 25, 2024
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years, considering that both were first-time offenders, according to EWN.
The NPA has said it will take a no-nonsense approach to corruption within the criminal justice system.
“Corruption erodes public confidence in the criminal justice system and that is why as the NPA, working together with our partners within the criminal justice system, we remain resolute in bringing criminals within the system to book,” Mjondwane said.
She said the NPA was making measurable progress against high-profile cases of corruption.
“Almost 700 government officials have been convicted of corruption since 2019. We remain committed to upholding the law and ensuring those who break it, even those sworn to enforce it, face the full might of justice,” she said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
