Jail time for conman promising Metro Police jobs

SIYABONGA Lindsay Dladla was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for theft by false pretences by the Durban Regional Court on 16 July.

Dladla was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in the sentencing.

This comes after an incident in January 2011 when the complaint in this case received a call from Dladla, who was phoning from a landline and identified himself a as a police officer from Metro Police in Durban.

“Dladla informed the complainant that Metro Police was looking for 30 people to be employed as Metro Police officials. The complaint was interested and an arrangement was made to meet on 31 January,” said Sgt Zanele Khomo from Durban Central SAPS.

She said the complainant paid a total amount of R17 500 in cash to Dladla to speed up the process for some of his family members to get positions.

Another cash amount of R38 500 was paid to Dladla by the complainant on the same day for another group of people who were desperate for employment.

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“A further R21 000 was deposited into the accused’s account for another group of people desperate for employment, also organised by the complainant.  All applicants were promised to start training at Metro on 15 February 2011. After the last deposit, the accused was not reachable though any of his contact numbers,” said Khomo.

A case of theft by false pretences was opened at Durban Central on 16 February 2011.

Khomo said on 6 July 2011 at around 5pm, a tip off was received, and Dladla was arrested by the Durban Central Cluster investigation team at a flat in Bonella.

“The suspect was positively identified by the complaint as the one who took the money on the Durban Central case. He made his first court appearance on 11 July 2011 and bail was denied. He then made several court appearances until he was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment last week,” said Khomo.

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