LIMPOPO police have allegedly used apartheid torture methods to extract information from a suspect.

The police allegedly suspected Godfrey Mariba of masterminding his own mugging involving R28000 belonging to his employers.

Mariba claimed he was handcuffed to a chair with his hands behind his back and suffocated with a plastic bag on Tuesday, though he had passed a lie detector test.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the Polokwane police station, where Mariba was held for questioning.

The questioning related to an armed robbery at Platinum Park mall in the city.

Mariba works for Anix Trading, a Polokwane-based company, which distributes Shaya maize meal products.

Mariba said one of his responsibilities is to collect money from depots and take it to the bank.

On Monday Mariba was sent to deposit money at the mall's FNB branch.

He said he had just parked a car when an unknown man pointed him with a gun and demanded the bag of money he was carrying.

He said he reluctantly handed over the money and the man fled in a Volvo sedan that had droven in as he was being held at gunpoint.

Mariba said he immiedately called the police who then drove around town looking for the robbers but could not find them.

He said he was surprised when he called his boss, Duane Brooks, to inform him of the robbery and he (Brooks) allegedly just laughed.

Police Superintendent Ronel Otto said the matter would be investigated.