Four Free State cops arrested [for attempted murder, driving under the influence of alcohol, corruption and
theft]
September 27 2013 at 07:56pm
By SAPA
By SAPA
Independent Newspapers
Bloemfontein - 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
