Two members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) appeared in the Bloemfontein Regional Court in the Free State on Friday for allegedly using inked-stained bank notes at a local casino.
Sergeant Ncebo Mitane, 38, and Sergeant Lerato Gift Shopo, 34, face charges of fraud, money laundering, possession of suspected stolen property, and defeating the administration of justice.
The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli said the officers were arrested while on duty on Thursday by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Welkom.
The SAPS officers are both attached to the Bloemfontein Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC).
It is alleged that between December 2021 and January 2022, the two police officers frequented a casino in Bloemfontein where they used bank notes stained with ink.
Security management at the casino identified them and reported the matter.
Mohobeleli said over R4,000 in stained notes were used.
“Both police officials are members of a cash-in-transit task team in the province. It is suspected that they recovered money from a crime scene and kept it for personal use.
“The matter was reported to the Hawks which resulted in the court issuing a warrant for their arrest,” Mohobeleli said.
The two police sergeants made their court appearance and were granted R10,000 bail each.
Head of the Hawks in the Free State, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba said the police officers should be hanging their heads in shame for bringing the organisation into disrepute.
“It appears their hands were indeed in the cookie jar. Like any criminal, they will not be spared. As the system cleanses itself of rotten potatoes, we will not hesitate to arrest anyone within our ranks who puts the relationship of trust with communities at risk,” Bokaba said.
The matter has been postponed until October 30.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL