A former Caledon police officer will serve two years’ direct jail for trying to blackmail and extort R50 000 from a dentist.
Brendill Davids, 44, was sentenced on Wednesday after his conviction on Monday in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on a charge of corruption and attempted extortion.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Davids was arrested on October 27, 2016, following an operation that was conducted by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team at a surgery in Grabouw.
The former cop allegedly suggested to the dentist that he submitted higher than usual claims to the SA Police Service Medical Scheme.
“It is further reported that Davids blackmailed the doctor and demanded money.
“The doctor informed the Hawks and Serious Corruption Investigation team members conducted an intelligence operation.
“The victim handed over the money amounting to R50 000, contained in a bag, to the accused who was with his niece and police arrested them while in possession of the money and the whole amount was recovered.
“After collecting the money, the accused and his niece were arrested in front of the doctor’s surgery,” said Hani.
She said the money was found in a bag carried by Davids’s niece, but the case against her was withdrawn in February 2017.
“For attempted extortion he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, of which three years were suspended for four years. For corruption he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment. The sentences are to run consecutively.
“The court charged and convicted Davids, with Contravention of S4(1) (a) of Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca), accepting gratification,” she said.
However, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said he was not charged under the Poca and would serve two years in prison.
The head of the Hawks in the Western Cape, Mathipa Makgato, welcomed the sentence and said that it would serve as a lesson to other law enforcement officers involved in criminal activities.
Cape Times