TWO police officers were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Monday, 17 May for corruption and defeating the ends of justice relating to an arrest made at King Shaka International Airport in 2018.
The former Berea police officers, Sergeant Musawenkosi Mabaso (48) and Sergeant Thulani Dlangalala (48) were arrested by Hawks members from Durban Serious Corruption Investigation.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, the officers had requested a bribe from the complainant.
“Mabaso and Dlangalala were tasked to pick up the suspect who was arrested at King Shaka International Airport in May 2018. Along the way, the two officers demanded a R7 500 cash in order to release the suspect for him to go home and come to court the following day,” said Mhlongo.
However, the NPA’s regional spokesperson, Natasha Kara said the suspect did not have the money on him.
“They made him phone his father who they met later and demanded the gratification of R7 000. The suspect’s father phoned his wife and they gathered R4 500,” she explained.
The money was handed over and the suspect was released on condition that they pay the remaining R3 000 later that day, she added.
Kara said the father later alerted the Hawks and a trap was set up.
“The remaining R3 000 was given to Mabaso and Dlangalala. Upon arrest, the R3 000 ‘trap’ money and the initial R4 500 was found in their possession,” confirmed Kara.
Mhlongo said Mabaso and Dlangalala were subsequently arrested.
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The KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head, Major General Leseja Senona welcomed the sentence.
“This is a very good lesson to those police officers who are abusing the authority and putting the name of the South African Police Service in disrepute. We are determined to clean up our own organisation and put all perpetrators where they belong,” he said.
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