By Leonie Wagner | Sep 06, 2014 |
A GAUTENG
policeman found guilty of corruption, prostitution and public indecency has
been described as an "embarrassment to the police".
On Friday, the Alexandra Magistrate's Court convicted Constable Alva
Kgomo, 33, after she was caught on CCTV footage giving a drunk driver a sexual
favour in May 2013.
The footage also showed Kgomo's colleague, Sergeant Ernst Dlomo, 41,
accepting a bribe from the driver.
Dlomo was facing the same charges as Kgomo, but was only found guilty of
corruption.
The two officers - both from the Boksburg North police station's crime
prevention unit - were sentenced to five years' behind bars.
Both had pleaded not guilty, but CCTV footage shown to the court during
the trial told a different story.
On the footage, BMW driver Thomas Haasbroek is seen drawing money from
an ATM in a parking lot at East Rand Mall in Boksburg and handing it to Dlomo.
Later, the footage shows Kgomo giving Haasbroek a "hand job" outside
their official police vehicle.
Kgomo and Dlomo claimed in court that they were assisting Haasbroek, who
needed help getting to an ATM because he did not have his glasses with him.
Dlomo said what changed hands between him and Haasbroekwas bank receipts,
not money.
Kgomo denied giving a sexual favour, saying she was playing with her
jacket when Haasbroek was standing close to her with his penis exposed.
However, Haasbroek, a Krugersdorp businessman believed to be in his 50s,
turned state witness and told the court that he paid the officers a R550 bribe
because he had been caught driving drunk.
In a scathing judgment, Magistrate SytaPrinsloo said the two police
officers, who were suspended in May last year, were "not worthy of wearing
the [police] uniform".
Prinsloo rubbished their version as "ridiculous and highly
unlikely", saying neither Kgomo nor Dlomo were "impressive"
witnesses and that their version "just doesn't make sense".
Prosecutor Percy Ramushu, who had asked for a 10-year prison sentence for
both officers, told the court the offences were "very serious" and
that "corruption is spreading like a cancer in this country".
In an attempt to get his clients a lower sentence, LindelaniMaseko told
the court that they should be "given a second chance in life to fend for
their families".
Maseko said Kgomo had been a police officer for two years and Dlomo had
been serving for 12 years.
