4 Makhanda cops in court for alleged theft of alcohol and cigarettes

Four police officers from Makhanda in the Eastern Cape have appeared in court for the alleged theft of alcohol and cigarettes.

Sergeant Lesley Sauls and Constable Justine Freeman appeared in the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court on Friday for allegedly stealing alcohol from a South African Breweries truck which had overturned in Grahamstown last year.

“On 13 October 2019, the truck overturned in Grahamstown and members of the community started looting the truck of alcohol.

“Sauls and Freeman arrived at the scene and apparently took some alcohol. They then allegedly offloaded some of the alcohol at Joza police station and sold some of it to a local tavern,” National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said in a statement on Friday.

Meanwhile in a separate case, Warrant Officer Lawrence van Ross and Sergeant Gareth Paul Prince also appeared in the same court for allegedly stealing cigarettes after raiding a residence which allegedly violated lockdown rules and regulations by selling cigarettes.

“Van Ross and Prince allegedly conducted the raid on 5 June 2020 and booked one third of the cigarette cartoons they had confiscated at the police station. It is unknown at this stage what they allegedly did with the rest,” Ngcakani added.

All four officers are stationed at the Joza police station. They were each granted R500 bail and are due back in court on 11 December.

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