Police officer sacked for rape and theft
The Reiger Park police
officer suspected of stabbing his girlfriend to death has been sacked.
Fanie Mthupha | 12
September 2014 11:00
According to Sgt Mashudu
Phathela, spokesperson for the Reiger Park SAPS, the officer was dismissed from
the force last month, following a thorough internal investigation into his
alleged involvement in rape and theft.
He allegedly raped a minor
and also allegedly illegally used State petrol cards to buy petrol from a
filling station.
“He was dismissed for both
cases after a disciplinary panel found that he was guilty of both offences,”
explains Phathela.
The rape case was withdrawn
and investigations are underway into the theft charge.
Phathela stated that the
officer, however, has 21 days to appeal the disciplinary panel’s decision.
“Because he is already
fired, no departmental disciplinary action will be taken against him regarding
the recent murder case.
“However, investigators are
still trying to gather enough evidence to link the officer to the suspected
killing his girlfriend,” adds Phathela.
The Reiger Park police
woman, Const Cynthia Monkwe, was stabbed to death on Monday, February 3,
allegedly by her boyfriend (the sacked police officer).
She was found near her home
in Ramaphosa, when a passerby found her lying on the ground, covered in blood.
Three days after the
killing, the police arrested the deceased’s boyfriend in connection with the
murder.
He was charged with murder
and his trial was meant to start on Friday, February 7.
However, this did not
happen because the murder charge against him was not placed on the court roll
due to lack of evidence.
However, according to
police spokesperson Col Lungelo Dlamini, the officer is not yet off the hook.
“The case is still under
investigation and the suspect can still be charged with murder. Detectives are
collecting necessary evidence to build a case against the suspect to get the
case enrolled.
“Once the investigating
officer has completed his investigations, and obtained all the evidence needed
for the case to be enrolled, the docket will be presented to the prosecutors
again.”
The release of the suspects
came as a surprise to a number of Mokwe’s colleagues, who scathingly criticised
the way the investigating officers is handling the matter.
According to a police
report, the deceased was seen with the suspect moments before the horrific
incident.
Following the crime, he
allegedly fled the scene in Mokwe’s vehicle.
It appears he drove towards
Heidelberg before the vehicle ran out of petrol, dumping it on the side of N3
freeway where it was later discovered.
The matter is being
investigated by the Germiston Organised Crime Unit detectives.
– @FanieBoksburg
