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A NORTH West police constable has been arrested after the discovery of the decomposed body of a man who had an affair with his live-in lover.

A NORTH West police constable has been arrested after the discovery of the decomposed body of a man who had an affair with his live-in lover.

"He will be charged with kidnapping and murder," police spokesperson Captain Adele Myburgh said yesterday.

Poposi Taffa disappeared from the holding cells of Lehurutshe police station on August 24, and his decomposed body was found under a low-lying bridge last Friday.

"Taffa was apparently handcuffed and led away from the police station by the arrested constable," Myburgh said.

Taffa and the Lehurutshe policeman were both dating schoolteacher and sangoma Keabetswe Tlhaole.

The dead man's brother Tshepiso Taffa yesterday said the trouble started on August 22 when the policeman spotted Taffa driving his lover's car. "Poposi was with the woman in her car. The policeman then followed them to Poposi's place in a police car," Tsepiso said.

His brother ran a removals business in the village.

"He threatened to shoot my brother but he ran away. He then slashed his car tyres before leaving with Tlhaole in her car."

Tshepiso said his brother opened a case at the police station but later dropped the charges after he heard the policeman was looking for him.

Tshepiso said Taffa disappeared on August 24 after the constable had asked to meet him at the police station.

"When he arrived at the police station he was instead arrested, and the (arrested) constable took him away," he said.

Tshepiso said his brother called while in the holding cells, but police are denying that he was even arrested.

Tshepiso said the family went to open a missing person case "but the local police in Lehurutshe dragged their feet until we reported the matter to the provincial department".

"He was killed by the police. If they did not protect their colleague maybe he would have been found alive," he said.

Police confirmed that the constable kidnapped Taffa from the police station after he had made an appointment with him. They also confirmed that his body was found last week.

Myburgh said: "The suspect was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder. He is expected to appear in court on Friday."

She said the police were still investigating although the case would also be handed over to the the Independent Complaints Directorate - which investigates police conduct.

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