Riot Hlatshwayo
Riot Hlatshwayo
A police constable was arrested for corruption in Mpumalanga yesterday after allegedly accepting a R5000 bribe to make the case of a suspected copper thief disappear.
The bribe was paid to the constable by the employer of the suspected thief. The employee was arrested for unlawful possession of stolen copper wire last week.
The policeman, 35, attached to Lydenburg police station, had an appointment with the employer at a Wimpy restaurant in town at about midday yesterday.
Police spokesman Captain Leonard Hlathi yesterday said: "He (the constable) had allegedly gone to the accused's employer earlier and solicited a bribe of R5000 to make the case disappear.
"The employer agreed but went to the police station and accused us of being corrupt because of just this one man," Hlathi said.
"We asked him to help us set a trap, which enabled us to carry out an arrest.
"Two female cops were deployed at the restaurant. They were like any other customer in the eyes of the corrupt policeman, so they were able to monitor him without being detected."
The two cops waited for the policeman to meet the employer and allowed them to even walk into the toilet where the money allegedly exchanged hands.
When they came out of the toilet the cops approached their colleague and identified themselves before searching him. They found him in possession of R5000 in cash given to him by the employer.
He was arrested on the spot.
The arrest brings to 12 the number of provincial police arrested for various crimes including rape and corruption since January.
COP arrested for taking r5000 bribe
Riot Hlatshwayo
Riot Hlatshwayo
A police constable was arrested for corruption in Mpumalanga yesterday after allegedly accepting a R5000 bribe to make the case of a suspected copper thief disappear.
The bribe was paid to the constable by the employer of the suspected thief. The employee was arrested for unlawful possession of stolen copper wire last week.
The policeman, 35, attached to Lydenburg police station, had an appointment with the employer at a Wimpy restaurant in town at about midday yesterday.
Police spokesman Captain Leonard Hlathi yesterday said: "He (the constable) had allegedly gone to the accused's employer earlier and solicited a bribe of R5000 to make the case disappear.
"The employer agreed but went to the police station and accused us of being corrupt because of just this one man," Hlathi said.
"We asked him to help us set a trap, which enabled us to carry out an arrest.
"Two female cops were deployed at the restaurant. They were like any other customer in the eyes of the corrupt policeman, so they were able to monitor him without being detected."
The two cops waited for the policeman to meet the employer and allowed them to even walk into the toilet where the money allegedly exchanged hands.
When they came out of the toilet the cops approached their colleague and identified themselves before searching him. They found him in possession of R5000 in cash given to him by the employer.
He was arrested on the spot.
The arrest brings to 12 the number of provincial police arrested for various crimes including rape and corruption since January.
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