Pretoria - Seven suspects, including a convicted criminal serving a sentence at Kgoshi Mampuru Correctional Services, in Pretoria, have been arrested and charged for corruption and impersonating police officers.
The Hawks on Tuesday said the arrests came after an inmate called the Phalaborwa police station in Limpopo and pretended to be a Lieutenant Colonel from the Hawks, informing the police of a suspect who was to appear at the local magistrate’s court, and instructed them to make contact with the suspect’s family members and give them his contact details.
“Upon calling the fake cop, the family members were told to deposit an undisclosed amount of money into a well-known bank account so that the suspect could be released on bail and for the destruction of the case docket.
“The suspects, two men and four women, who were arrested in Brits and Witbank, will appear before the Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, facing charges of corruption and impersonating police officers,” said the Hawks.
The Hawks said the process is also underway for the already convicted suspect to have his day in court. The suspects are aged between 28 and 45 years.
According to the Hawks, the suspects are Margaret Polo, 43, Simon Motlhasedi, 33, Rachel Holmes, 32, as well as inmates David Mellow, Donald Mahlabathi and Jimmy Moeti. Polo, Motlhasedi and Holmes are currently out on R1000 bail each and will also be back in the dock on Wednesday with their co-accused.
“This is the second breakthrough after another six people were arrested after having used the same modus operandi to con unsuspecting family members,” said the Hawks. - SAnews.gov.za
