MBOMBELA – A 28-year-old man who was robbed of more than R33 300 at Emkhatsini Sasol garage last week, suspects that the police who arrested the suspects might have kept his money for themselves.
According to the complainant, Mr Enoch Shongwe of Daantjie, he withdrew his company’s money from the bank and safely placed the money bag next to him on the seat. He then stopped to give a woman who was hiking to KaNyamazane a lift.
Upon reaching the garage, he left the woman in the car and went to grab something from the shop when two men who were apparently following them in their car, told the woman to check on the vehicle’s flat tyre. While she was apparently leaning through the window to check on the said flat tyre, one of the suspects grabbed the money bag and both men fled the scene in a vehicle with a Swazi registration number.
The complainant said that although he was shocked about what had happened, he was relieved when he noticed the suspects’ car being pursued by a police vehicle from the White River Flying Squad. It is alleged that upon seeing the police vehicle, the suspects tried to flee, but they were easily apprehended and escorted to the garage where they apparently told the police that they were instructed to commit the robbery.
“To my surprise, the guys were arrested by the police, who even told me to leave them and go open a case in Mbombela while they continued with their investigation. Upon my return to the scene, the police claimed that the money was nowhere to be found. They arrested t he woman I was with as well. I am not satisfied that the police claim not to have seen the money,” he said. A case of theft out of a vehicle has been opened and the three suspects.
