Police officials arrested for corruption
Police officials arrested for alleged corruption and for using state
property without authorisation.
STANDERTON
– Two police officials from Standerton have been arrested in connection with
corruption.
Const
Ronald Mmatlou(28) appeared before the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on charges
of corruption and the use of state owned vehicle without the owner’s consent.
This
happened on September 2, following the Mpumalanga Tracking Team’s swift action
after Mmatlou eluded the police for a week.
His
arrest follows allegations of unlawful conduct between him and his co-accused a
police Reservist Const Tebogo Alfred Modise (24) .
On August
25 the pair allegedly stopped a motorist in Standerton in what appeared to be
their daily routine inspection and they apparently told the driver to be
driving under the influence of liquor and threatened to arrest him if he failed
to pay them a bribe of R1 000.
The
motorists managed to borrow the money from a local businessman and the officials
apparently escorted him to get the money..
Their
unlawful conduct was reported to the station’s management who in-turn opened a
case against them.
Modise
was arrested on the same day while Mmatlou fled the scene using a state owned
vehicle which he later handed over to a member who was about to report on duty
the same day.
It is
further alleged that Mmatlou did not report on duty until police were tipped of
his were about on August 30.
He was
arrested in Bronkhornspruit where he was hiding.
“Police
further uncovered that both villains were also involved in an attempted murder
case where they allegedly shot and severely injured a man who refused to give
them a bribe and dumped him in the bushes at Robert Green Farm situated on the
road between Balfour and Standerton, thinking he was dead,” said Col Leonard
Hlathi.
He added
that further investigations revealed that Const Mmatlou is currently having
pending cases of house robbery and attempted murder which he allegedly
committed in Amsterdam November 2012.
“On these
particular cases, Mmatlou was granted bail and he is expected to appear at the
Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on October 7,” he said..
On the
current cases, both officials were remanded in custody and will re-appear in
court on Sept 13.
Anyone
who was victimised or who has information concerning these TOW officials is
urged to come forth and hand in statements to Captain Richard Nkwanyana who can
be contacted at 082 782 3361.
“Pathetic
and corrupt officials have got no room in the police and all those who continue
to drag the name of the police into disrepute, will feel the pinch of the law,”
said the Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Thulani Ntobela.
