• The Hawks in Limpopo have arrested a 31-year-old police constable attached to Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport on charges of defeating the ends of justice.

The arrest followed an investigation into a cash-in-transit robbery at the Mokone Shell garage in Polokwane in May, when four men held Coin Security guards at gunpoint and stole three boxes containing an undisclosed amount of cash.

They took off in a BMW that was later found abandoned two kilometres from the scene.

Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi yesterday said: "The investigations led the Hawks to Gauteng, where it is alleged the constable had aided the suspects to escape."

He said the constable was arrested in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, and was disarmed of his service pistol.

The suspect will appear in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court today.

Other suspects are still on the run.

• In an unrelated incident, a 43-year-old policeman previously attached to the Hawks in Polokwane has been dismissed after he was found guilty of fraud.

Warrant Officer Edward Rabohlale Hlaraka was arrested after receiving a R700 bribe in November last year.

A complainant had allegedly lent R250,000 to a woman who then attempted to repay the money with a fraudulent cheque.

Hlaraka demanded R700 from the fraud suspect to destroy the docket. He allegedly demanded a further R10,000 to destroy the case.

Mulaudzi said Hlaraka was given a total of R1,300 in instalments.

He said a trap was set for Hlaraka in which he was found with R400 in notes that matched the state's trap money.

Hawks head in Limpopo Major-General Dibero Molatjana said yesterday the dismissal should serve as warning that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that members of the Hawks who are inclined to criminality were exposed and dealt with "accordingly".

- frankm@sowetan.co.za

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Mon May 20 02:25:01 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 9, 2012

Papage

What is new about our Police, nothing and we are not surprised
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Jul 9, 2012

Impela

The crooked cop would easily have opted for a dismissal than jail time and repayment of the bribe money. Here is hoping that the ex-cop will be charged.

@Papage the 'we' in your comment may mean quite a lot of people, but certainly excludes me; I still have a lot of respect for the police.
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Jul 9, 2012

tumzangwana

Policeman attached to Johannesburg airport arrested on charges of defeating the ends of justice AND another policeman previously attached to the Hawks bust for offering to make a case 'disappear'
;;;;;;

That's good to hear. Now the justice system must ensure that those two 'disappear'.
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Jul 9, 2012

Pitbull123

Papage I concur with Impela, speak for your self and don'ty use words like "we". The dismissed policeman attached to the Hawks should have been sent to jail and not just dismissal. Its not enough deterrent to dismiss people. Charge them with corruption and defeating the ends of justice. For the police to formulate charges is not that difficult.
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Jul 9, 2012

Mbelewolwazi

@Pitbull123
In the police the criminal and internal disciplinary processes are independent of each other. It may be that the internal process was swift hence dismissal. It does not mean though that the criminal case is not proceeding. He is still going to jail if found guilty.
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