WATCH | Mourners shocked as Hawks nab ex-Chiefs spin doctor at funeral of 'Goldfingers'

"We didn't even realise he was [being] arrested because we just saw him walking with the police after his speech and we thought he was just going home."

This is  how a Sundowns supporter at the funeral of the club's official Alex Shakoane on Tuesday described the dramatic  arrest of former Kaizer Chiefs public relations officer Louis "Sprinter" Tshakoane.

Tshakoane had just finished making his speech, paying tribute to his fellow former PRO during the funeral service held at the International Assemblies Of God Church in Mamelodi, Tshwane.

Mourners assumed the police were there to protect the high-profile mourners  who included mining magnate and CAF president Patrice Motsepe and Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi.

"It seems the police were waiting for him to finish his speech and pounce on him. But everything was just calm and not many noticed he was being arrested," added the Sundowns supporter who asked not to be named. 

Tshakoane had been on police wanted list for his connection to his son’s alleged illegal investment scheme. Louis Tshakoane Jr is accused of running a failed multimillion rand investment scheme known as Undercover Billionaires which left investors high and dry four years ago.

But his father's luck ran out on Tuesday morning as the Hawks pounced on the former flamboyant PRO at his old friend’s burial. Before his arrest, Tshakoane was in high spirits describing Shakoane as a fallen giant.

“I want to say this giant Alex has the spirit of Joe Frazier [former American boxer], I can sit down every day and every night and I would say Sundowns don’t know much about Alex like I do,” Tshakoane said.

“Because he was my opponent, I used to analyse and divide him, manipulate Alex. And if there are people who are entitled to celebrate him it must be Sundowns and the nation.

“Alex was a giant, he was a calculator, and one day I got him in the dressing room. He was praying, ‘the spirit of Alex and Sundowns must never die’.”

According to a police officer who asked not to be named as he was not allowed to speak with the media, the Hawks waited for him to finish his speech before arresting him.