Four policemen arrested for crime
September 29, 2013
Four police constables have
been arrested for crimes in the Free State, police said on Friday.
They were arrested on
Monday for the separate crimes of attempted murder, driving under the influence
of alcohol, corruption and theft, said Brigadier Billy Jones.
He said a 36-year-old
constable allegedly assaulted his 40-year-old wife during an argument in
Makwallo, Vredefort, at 3.30pm on Monday.
“According to information,
he also instructed her to leave the house, on which she refused and he
subsequently fired four shots at her with his service pistol, but she was not
hit,” he said in a statement.
“The suspect was arrested
and his official firearm and ammunition were booked into the evidence room.”
The policeman, who was
stationed at the Boksburg police station, was charged with attempted murder.
At 11.30pm the same day, a
29-year-old constable stationed at the 10111 Centre in Heidedal was arrested
for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Heidedal police were called
to the scene of an accident near Heidedal police station, where the driver of a
BMW had hit the back of a Nissan Lavina.
“The constable, who was the
driver of the BMW, was then arrested for driving under the influence of liquor
after a blood sample was taken.
He was off-duty at the time
of the incident and was released on a warning, said Jones.
The police would decide
whether to suspend him when the results of the blood test were known.
Jones said a third
policeman, a 28-year-old constable stationed at Bultfontein, was arrested for
corruption and theft after allegedly selling his official firearm to a Lesotho
man in a tavern for R900.
Jones said the firearm had
not been recovered, but the buyer had been arrested and charged with theft of a
police firearm.
The constable was served
with a notice of suspension on Thursday.
Jones said a 25-year-old
constable was arrested in Philippolis for attempted murder.
“It is alleged that the
suspect was on duty and was involved in an argument over a girlfriend with the
victim in Poding-Tse-Rolo, Philippolis,” he said.
“The victim alleges that a
shot was fired at him with the service pistol of the constable, which missed
him.”
Newly-appointed provincial
commissioner Lt-Gen Thabethe Mpembe said the arrests should serve as a warning
to other police officials who were “custodians of the law”.
He said crime would not be
tolerated. – Sapa
