Police arrest man on perjury charges
A man who claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint has been charged with perjury.
A 53-year-old man appeared in the Pinetown Magistrates Court yesterday after he filed a false case of an armed robbery at Mariannhill SAPS.
According to police, the suspect claimed the incident occurred on Saturday, May 7 as he was driving down Mariannhill’s Ukuthola Road when his vehicle was bombarded by unknown men.
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The complainant said he was robbed of his firearm at gunpoint, before the suspects fled the scene.
The docket was given to the investigating officer, who dug deeper into the case. Upon investigation, contradictions were found in the statement. It was discovered he had falsely reported a case and was immediately informed that making a false statement under oath is a criminal offence.
“The investigation revealed that he visited his girlfriend in Mariannhill and left the firearm in the vehicle. The vehicle was broken into by unknown suspects and the firearm was stolen,” said Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo from the Mariannhill SAPS.
Ngcobo said the suspect was detained and charged with perjury and failure to secure a handgun.
“We are requesting that members of the community refrain from filing fake police reports. It is a criminal offence to lie on oath, and anyone who does so will be prosecuted,” concluded Ngcobo.
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