Cop accused of raping man
February 21 2011 at 07:43am
By Karabo Seanego
By Karabo Seanego
I
Two Durban metro police
officers and a police sergeant have been arrested for pocketing stolen wrist
watches, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
A Tshwane Metro Police officer is expected to appear in the Pretoria
Magistrate’s Court soon after he allegedly raped a man and stole his cellphone.
He is the second Tshwane Metro Police officer to be arrested in less
than a fortnight.
In the latest incident a 29-year-old off-duty officer was arrested on
Friday night for rape and theft.
Police said the officer and his alleged victim were having drinks in
Pretoria North.
The officer later offered to take the man home but in 15th Avenue,
Rietfontein, he allegedly raped him.
The 26 year-old alleged victim managed to walk to the Moot police
station in 18 th Avenue to report the matter.
Police spokesman Tshisikhawe Ndou said: “Immediately after the incident
he left the victim there and fled the scene.
“The suspect will be facing a charge of rape as well as theft of a
cellphone. He will be appearing in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court soon.”
Tshwane Community Safety spokesman William Baloyi confirmed the incident
involving an officer from the department but said they could not comment as the
details were still sketchy.
“At the moment we don’t have sufficient details but I can confirm that
one of our officers has been arrested on an allegation of rape.”
This brings the number of metro police officers who have been arrested
for criminal behaviour to two this month.
A sergeant was arrested in Akasia on Friday, February 11, while driving
a VW Polo which is said to have been hijacked in December.
He was arrested after a ground and air chase by members of the SAPS
elite special task force.
He is being investigated for his possible involvement in a spate of
house and business robberies and hijackings across Gauteng.
The two are the latest in a number of local metro police officers being
investigated.
The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) said more than 30 cases
involving its members are being investigated.
Baloyi said although there are cases against officers, they are too few
to conclude that all metro police officers are involved in illegal activities.
“Our members are well disciplined, except for a few isolated cases that
are portraying us negatively in the public’s eyes,” he said.
Baloyi said the department was adamant that it would root out all
corrupt officers and clean up the image of the department.
He said the cases in question were over a period of three years which
was not as bad as it appeared.
“Given the high impact and strenuous environment that our officers are
confronted with, their discipline is to be applauded.
“There have been cases where our officers were assaulted and attacked
but they have restrained themselves. Those (38 cases) are isolated and are
seriously damaging our name,” said Baloyi.
Out of the 38 cases over three years, only three were serious offences.
The remaining 35 include cases against officers who were repeat offenders.
Baloyi said the officers being investigated did not even constitute 10 percent
of the 1 600 active officers.
The department planned to resolve all outstanding cases which fall under
the 38 under investigations within 14 days and prosecute those found guilty. -
Pretoria News
