AN eThekwini councillor was left reeling in shock after discovering that she had allegedly been robbed by a Metro Police officer who befriended her.
Councillor Lyndal Singh told Berea Mail she was in Durban for a DA caucus meeting at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon and had stopped at The Workshop to have her nails done at a salon.
“While getting my nails done I met the Metro police officer in the store, she was in uniform, and introduced herself as Natalie and we chatted. She asked if she could watch while I did my nails and we spoke about Metro police. She knew I was a councillor and tried to gain my trust. I even gave her one of my business cards. She didn’t seem like a con artist I could tell by the city and policing issues we spoke about,” said Singh.
Singh believes the Metro cop must have noticed the R5000 she had in her purse. “When I took out my wallet to pay, she might have seen the cash and I went to the cashier to pay with the cash. I recall she leaned over to tie her lace at some point but never suspected a thing,” she said. The two continued chatting and the Metro cop even said she wanted to use the toilet and they both left the salon together with the Metro officer carrying the councillor’s handbag as her nails were still wet. “I had no idea she had taken my wallet. We walked to City Hall and only at the lift did I take my bag from her and we parted ways. It was only when I got home in the evening after the three-hour meeting and I was at a drive through getting food for my children that I realised my wallet was missing,” explained Singh.
“I recall she leaned over to tie her lace at some point but never suspected a thing” – Singh
After retracing her steps and having her bag at her side throughout the meeting, Singh was “shocked out of my mind” when she realised the Metro officer must have taken her wallet. “It seemed absurd blaming the Metro Police officer, because she was very pretty, well taken care of female officer. I thought it was not going to be worth my while reporting it because it would just be a long process and more like chasing the wind. However, I realised that if I did report her, I could stop her from doing it again to the next person.”
When she went to report the incident to Metro Police, the councillor was shocked to learn that the Metro officer’s superiors were aware of her shenanigans. “They immediately knew who I was talking about when I described her and I realised that she had given me a fake name. Her superiors were aware of other complaints against her, including allegations of house breaking and that she had allegedly broken into a car!”
“I believe that she could be on drugs as she knew I was a councillor and was in uniform and still did it” – Singh
Singh is thoroughly disappointed, especially because she feels duped by someone who was supposed to be “trustworthy and should be working for the people.” “The incident has taught me, not to trust people, even if I’m walking next to a friend, I have to be wary of my belongings because you never know what you will encounter.”
“The whole incident doesn’t make sense. I believe that she could be on drugs as she knew I was a councillor and was in uniform and still did it. I have opened a criminal case at Durban Central police and asked for a departmental case to be opened at Metro Police because she simply cannot get away with such behaviour,” Singh said.
While Singh may have lost a large sum of cash, she was grateful to get her discarded Driver’s Licence back from a good Samaritan who found it close to City Hall.
