Cop demands bribe from undercover colleague at illegal roadblock

Two law enforcement officers have been arrested for corruption during a joint sting operation of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), SAPS anti-corruption and National Traffic anti-corruption units at the Easter weekend.

A 56-year-old captain from the SAPS Johannesburg Public Order Policing unit was arrested for corruption in Observatory, Johannesburg on Monday.

According to spokesperson Ndileka Cola, the captain conducted an unauthorised roadblock with colleagues on Observatory and Steyn streets .

During the roadblock, he stopped an undercover vehicle and demanded a driving licence, which the official did not produce.

The captain then allegedly demanded a bribe of R100 and entrapment cash was handed over to him.

He was arrested and detained at Yeoville police station.

ALSO READ: NPA prosecutor arrested for alleged corruption

He is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today.

In another Easter sting operation on Friday, a 45-year-old traffic officer from Randfontein Public Safety was arrested for corruption.

Cola said the officer was operating a speed camera when he stopped an undercover vehicle.

He allegedly solicited a R200 bribe and was arrested on the spot for corruption.

He has been detained at Randfontein police station.

According to Captain Kay Makhubela, 1,170 suspects were arrested by police during operations conducted across all five districts in Gauteng this Easter weekend.

Among those arrested is the owner of a liquor outlet who was charged with contravention of level one lockdown regulations in Muldersdrift West Rand. The owner was arrested on Saturday at 4am.

During O Kae Molao operations in Orlando and Diepkloof and Soweto, police arrested 19 drunk driving suspects at an N17 road block and impounded a suspected stolen vehicle, while detectives arrested more than 80 suspects who were wanted for various serious and violent crimes.

ALSO READ: Investigating Directorate ‘determined’ to re-enroll R85m police vehicle branding corruption case

In Tshwane, more than 500 suspects were arrested during operations for drunk driving while a number of illegal liquor outlets were closed and liquor confiscated.

During the early hours of Saturday, 3 April 2021, another team pounced on a workshop in Johannesburg CBD where counterfeit goods with an estimated value of R5.2 million were seized and more than 150 suspects arrested

Meanwhile, 390 suspects were arrested in Ekurhuleni by integrated law enforcement agencies for various offences including driving under the influence of alcohol.

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.