Two suspects who pretended to be Hawks officers and allegedly solicited a bribe from a businessman were arrested by the real Hawks in Marble Hall, Limpopo, on Saturday.
The complainant, a director of a company which was awarded a tender to supply Covid-19 personal protective equipment in Mpumalanga, allegedly received a call from a suspect who introduced himself as a member of the Hawks stationed in Mpumalanga.
“It is further alleged that the suspect told the (complainant) that he was investigating a case of corruption against him and demanded R50,000 in order to squash the docket,” Hawks spokesperson Capt Matimba Maluleke said.
Maluleke said the matter was reported to the Hawks' serious corruption investigation unit which arrested two suspects immediately after they had received R20,000 on Saturday.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are not members of the Hawks as they allegedly claimed.
“They were also found in possession of fraudulent documents with the Hawks logo.”
Both suspects will appear in the Marble Hall magistrate's court on Monday to face charges relating to corruption and impersonating police officials.
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