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The wife‚ the prisoner and a former Joburg city employee – how the Hawks nailed this crime

Hawks logo Picture: BAFANA MAHLANGU/Sowetan.
Hawks logo Picture: BAFANA MAHLANGU/Sowetan.

The Hawks have arrested a prisoner and his partner in crime for impersonating one of the province’s most senior cops.

The City of Johannesburg said the inmate had masterminded the crime by pretending to be Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya‚ who is leading the city’s crusade against corruption.

The prisoner allegedly called former city employee Mbali McClare‚ who is accused of fraud‚ and offered to make charges against her disappear. The two allegedly demanded R150‚000 in exchange for the favour.

“It is alleged that an inmate serving an 18-year sentence for rape at the Zonderwater Correctional Services in Pretoria‚ who is the mastermind behind the crime‚ contacted Mbali McClare and introduced himself as Major-General Shadrack Sibiya‚” Mayor Herman Mashaba said in a statement.

McClare is a former candidate valuer who was arrested earlier this year for deliberately undervaluing 22 properties valued at nearly R500 million‚ resulting in losses of around R40 million to the city.

McClare alerted the Hawks about the phone call‚ after which the city’s Group Forensic Investigative Unit set a trap for the suspect‚ who was meant to collect the money in Midrand.

“An undercover cop who pretended to be McClare’s partner was given R5000. The money was then handed to the suspect‚ the Hawks and GFIS team pounced on the suspect. The suspect was then interrogated and revealed that he was working with an inmate‚” Mashaba said.

“A phone call was then made by the suspect to the inmate informing him that he received R75 000‚ the inmate then instructed that the suspect take R30 000 and take R45 000 to his wife who is based in Soshanguve.

“The Hawks then proceeded to his wife in Soshanguve and she confirmed that she was expecting R45 000 from her husband who is in prison. The wife then led the Hawks to the prison where her husband is detained.”

A cellphone used in the execution of the crime was seized from the inmate. The suspects are due to appear in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday charges of fraud and corruption.

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