Alex Matlala

Alex Matlala

The Limpopo police arrested one of their colleague for corruption yesterday.

The 35-year-old police sergeant, attached to the organised crime unit was, arrested in Bela-Bela.

The officer was allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe from a moneylender.

Police spokesman Superintendent Mohale Ramatseba said they received a tip-off from members of the public that someone was withdrawing money from a dead person's account.

"The family of the deceased told us a statement from the deceased's bank account showed that a substantial amount of money had been withdrawn," Ramatseba said.

"We launched investigations and found that the deceased's bank card had been taken by a local moneylender" Ramatseba said.

He said investigations linked the transactions to the moneylender.

The moneylender allegedly got hold of the dead man's bank card and PIN number and used them to withdraw money.

The moneylender was also arrested and appeared in the BelaBela magistrate's court on Tuesday.

But the case against him was withdrawn because of insufficient evidence.

"Our police set a trap after receiving information that the sergeant was soliciting a bribe from the moneylender," Ramatseba said.

"The sergeant allegedly told the moneylender that he had played an important role in having the case against him withdrawn."

He said the cop demanded R2000 from the moneylender.

"Unfortunately he fell into the trap and was arrested shortly after receiving the money," Ramatseba said.

The sergeant will appear in the BelaBela magistrate's court today.

Meanwhile, a man who allegedly robbed a pensioner of a substantial amount of money was shot in the leg before his arrest in Polokwane yesterday.