A 34-year-old police constable‚ working as a detective at Mhluzi police station‚ appeared before the Belfast Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Monday) facing charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm‚ drunken driving‚ reckless and/ negligent driving‚ as well as possession of a firearm and ammunition while under the influence of alcohol.
The SAPS said in a statement that Constable Joel Moloto’s appearance follows an incident where the provincial Commissioner of the police in Mpumalanga‚ Lieutenant General Mark Magadlela‚ spotted a marked vehicle belonging to Mhluzi Police Station near Middelburg parked at a liquor outlet in Belfast.
“When the Commissioner went to enquire about the vehicle‚ he noticed a man who was carrying beers in his hands approaching the vehicle. He then approached the man and introduced himself as the Provincial Commissioner of police in Mpumalanga and asked the man what was he doing with a state-owned vehicle on a Sunday and at a liquor outlet far away from its precinct.
“The Commissioner also observed that there was a woman in the very same vehicle and questioned her whether she was a police official or a complainant. The woman just said she was sorry and left the car.
The constable then decided to follow the woman and at that time‚ the Commissioner saw that the vehicle’s keys were hanging in the ignition. He then removed them. Then the constable returned and forcefully took them from the hand of the Commissioner. In the process the Commissioner sustained an injury on one of his fingers.
“Seeing that the constable was armed with a firearm‚ the Commissioner decided to retreat from him and instead followed him until at Mhluzi SAPS which is more than sixty kilometres from Belfast.”
An internal investigation against the policeman was instituted and criminal charges were also pressed against Moloto.
He was arrested on Friday‚ 29 May 2015.
Police Commissioner trails cop suspect for 60km
A 34-year-old police constable‚ working as a detective at Mhluzi police station‚ appeared before the Belfast Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Monday) facing charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm‚ drunken driving‚ reckless and/ negligent driving‚ as well as possession of a firearm and ammunition while under the influence of alcohol.
The SAPS said in a statement that Constable Joel Moloto’s appearance follows an incident where the provincial Commissioner of the police in Mpumalanga‚ Lieutenant General Mark Magadlela‚ spotted a marked vehicle belonging to Mhluzi Police Station near Middelburg parked at a liquor outlet in Belfast.
“When the Commissioner went to enquire about the vehicle‚ he noticed a man who was carrying beers in his hands approaching the vehicle. He then approached the man and introduced himself as the Provincial Commissioner of police in Mpumalanga and asked the man what was he doing with a state-owned vehicle on a Sunday and at a liquor outlet far away from its precinct.
“The Commissioner also observed that there was a woman in the very same vehicle and questioned her whether she was a police official or a complainant. The woman just said she was sorry and left the car.
The constable then decided to follow the woman and at that time‚ the Commissioner saw that the vehicle’s keys were hanging in the ignition. He then removed them. Then the constable returned and forcefully took them from the hand of the Commissioner. In the process the Commissioner sustained an injury on one of his fingers.
“Seeing that the constable was armed with a firearm‚ the Commissioner decided to retreat from him and instead followed him until at Mhluzi SAPS which is more than sixty kilometres from Belfast.”
An internal investigation against the policeman was instituted and criminal charges were also pressed against Moloto.
He was arrested on Friday‚ 29 May 2015.
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