A former police official has been sentenced in the Bellville Serious Commercial Crimes Court on charges of corruption and attempted extortion.
Brendill Davids, 44, was attached to the Caledon police station and was convicted on October 9 on the charges brought against him.
The Western Cape spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks), Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani said Davids was arrested on October 27, 2016, during an operation.
The operation was conducted by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bellville, at a surgery in High Street, Grabouw.
The arrest come after the doctor informed the Hawks team he was being blackmailed by Davids and demanded money.
“The accused suggested that the dentist submitted higher-than-usual claims to Polmed. The doctor informed the Hawks and Serious Corruption Investigation team members conducted an intelligence operation,” Hani said.
“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,” she said.
“After collecting the money, the accused and his niece were arrested in front of the doctor's surgery.”
She said Davids’ niece was found carrying the money.
The case against the niece was withdrawn on February 24, 2017.
The court sentenced Davids to four years imprisonment for extortion, of which three years is suspended for four years, and 12 months imprisonment for corruption.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. Davids will effectively serve one year of direct imprisonment.
The head of the Hawks in the Western Cape, Major General Mathipa Makgato welcomed the sentence and said this matter should serve as a lesson to other law enforcement officers involved in criminal activities.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL