A police officer assigned to investigate an Uber driver and his accomplices accused of various crimes was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe.

This emerged in the Randburg Magistrates Court where the driver and three other suspects appeared on charges of kidnapping‚ robbing and sexually assaulting passengers in the Johannesburg area recently.

The police officer appeared separately in the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on charges of corruption.

“He was arrested about two months ago and has appeared in court a number of times. He will be back in court again soon‚” police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said.

The police officer‚ who was initially investigating the matter‚ was allegedly bribed by two of the suspects to avoid being charged.

The suspects and the driver are part of a gang that is being charged with attacking Uber passengers using the same modus operandi.

In one incident‚ a passenger was attacked after she called for an Uber taxi to collect her from Montecasino in August.

Upon entering the taxi‚ the woman said two men who had been hiding in the boot pushed through the back seat and attacked her.

She was allegedly taken to a deserted area were she was raped‚ assaulted and robbed. She was billed for the ride by Uber.

The woman’s lawyer‚ Ulrich Roux‚ said he was happy the arrests have been made.

“The details of the police officer’s arrests are a bit sketchy‚ on my part. The Gauteng police made the arrest. He is facing corruption charges as he was initially working on the matter. We have welcomed the arrest and we believe justice will prevail in this matter‚” Roux said.