Now a pensioner but a former Delmas police officer, Warrant Officer Samuel Bassie Mahlangu (60) appeared before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on June 18.
Mahlangu’s appearance followed his arrest on May 14 by the Middelburg-based Serious Corruption Investigation after the docket was referred to them for further investigation.
Allegedly, Mahlangu defeated the ends of justice and tampered with evidence. Further alleged is that on August 1, 2023, Mahlangu dumped exhibits in a garbage bin at the Delmas Police Station.
As reported in Streeknews on August 11, 2023, an intelligence-driven operation was carried out by a team comprising National Crime Intelligence (NCI), the Middelburg K9 Unit, the Middelburg Directorate For Priority Crime Investigation, Ekurhuleni East Crime Intelligence, the Delmas SAPS, a member of a local security company and AfriForums’ Delmas Valke Neighbourhood Watch members.
Upon arrival at a farm in the early morning hours of August 1 in the Waaikraal region in Delmas, the team investigated five buildings there.
The team found evidence of an illegal drug laboratory and some gold-bearing materials and machinery that indicated an illegal gold refinery.
The police seized the evidence, including the gold-bearing materials. They booked the latter into the SAPS 13 exhibits register at the Delmas SAPS.
According to a media statement released by the media spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Hawks, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, on June 19, Mahlangu apparently signed for it.
“It is further alleged that a member of NCI went to the Delmas Police Station on August 2, 2023, for the exhibit, and the accused indicated he was unaware that the items (gold-bearing materials) were exhibits.
“Mahlangu allegedly further showed the NCI where he dumped the exhibit in a bin used for garbage at the back of the police station without a disposal order entry made,” said Sekgotodi.
At the time of going to print, the case of defeating the ends of justice and tampering with evidence against Mahlangu was postponed to June 27 for further investigation.
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