Hawks arrest three of their own for alleged extortion
The three Hawks members stand accused of extorting large amounts of money from a foreign business owner.
Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya. Picture: Facebook
Three members of South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation – better known as the Hawks – were arrested on Friday morning in Pretoria for alleged corruption, extortion, intimidation, and defeating the ends of justice, a statement from Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi has confirmed.
The Hawks members, two of which are captains and one of which is a warrant officer, with ages ranging from 49 to 55, are expected to appear at the Randburg Magistrate Court on Friday.
“It is alleged that the three officers visited a business premises in January this year,” the statement reads.
“They demanded and eventually extorted a large amount of money from a business owner to avoid being reported to authorities for being in possession of invalid documents and to stay and conduct any business in South Africa.”
The matter was reported to the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation unit, Mulaudzi confirmed, and they were arrested by members of this unit together with the crime intelligence unit.
Investigations are reportedly ongoing.
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