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Police officers being led to a waiting police van. PHOTO MOHAU MOFOKENG

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The union said the arrest of their members last Thursday was staged, adding that the withdrawal of the charges had proven that there was no case against the policemen.

Constables Zungu and Masia, as well as sergeant Phalane, were arrested while on duty at the Randburg police station on Thursday last week. They had been accused of assault, fraud and corruption.

This followed a complaint by Patrick Letsoalo of Johannesburg, who said the police had accused him of urinating on the street.

Letsoalo said he was later assaulted by the three officers who later made off with his money, which was R800. He was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Popcru was ecstatic over the decision to withdraw the case and questioned why there had been a large media contingent at the police station when the trio were arrested.

Popcru even accused the police of "staging" the arrest and said other police officers were traumatised.

"Popcru believes important lessons will be learnt from the release of the three officers who were arrested ... in the presence of a large media contingent.

"The court ... found there isn't sufficient evidence to support the charges of corruption, fraud and assault laid against the officers. The charges against the three men were withdrawn," said the statement.

It further said: "The union is further disturbed by what seems to have been a staged media parade aimed at illustrating a notion that the police are efficient when it comes to rooting out crime from within its ranks.

"The three officers who were arrested were in fact cleared of any wrongdoing through internal departmental processes in 2011. Hence the union's concern that all is not as it seems."

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga referred Sowetan to Phindi Louw, the NPA spokeswoman for the South Gauteng division, who was not available at the time of going to print.

Police spokeswoman captain Pinky Tsinyane confirmed that case had been withdrawn on Friday pending further investigation. She declined to comment on Popcru's claims that the arrest was staged. - selebim@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Wed Jun 19 15:35:22 SAST 2013 ::

May 7, 2012

cornelius

Well I suppose the poor man was robbed and assaulted by ghosts then.
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May 7, 2012

Papage

Cases against the police will never stand, lack of evidance all the way and thereafter the victim will suffer after the case, for the rest of his life.
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May 7, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

What the fck is this now!!!, oh but is the SAPS so anything is possible no suprises there!!!
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May 7, 2012

Vhamsanda

It is becoming a norm these days to parade suspects publicly before they appear in court. Not so long ago a certain minister of correctional services did the same and what is more disturbing is that she did not see anything wrong with her actions.
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May 7, 2012

RobinH

Come now SAPS and NPA. What do you take us for? Stuff this for a pathetic joke.
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May 7, 2012

hulas

No surprises,mafias linked directly to anc president runs our security forces.
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May 7, 2012

ProudSAcan

Maybe i am babalaz, but is the guy supposedly being arrested while he has a gun on his waist?
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May 7, 2012

sabza007

I am not surprised. Next week the first batch of criminals will be released from jail to prowl our strets and do more crime. Why then would they let police to sit in jails.
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May 7, 2012

MommaC

F*&%$ unions will be the death of this country.
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May 7, 2012

BaleliM

i guess the man either imagined the whole odeal or it was ghosts that assaulted him. i love the justice system in this country. The guilty ones are roaming ths streets and the some innocent ones are behind bars because there is no one to investigate their cases.
sad state of affairs
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