Cape Town - A police official, eager to attend a police “span bou” or team building, kept nagging a hapless suspect in a crayfish-related case for the R1 000 the official needed for the party, a Cape Town court heard on Tuesday.
At his wit’s end over the nagging, the suspect, penniless after paying a R10 000 fine in the crayfish case, approached another police official about it.
The second police official took the suspect, Mervin Samuels, to the Anti-corruption Unit, and a “sting” operation was arranged in which the nagging policeman was trapped, allegedly accepting a R3 000 bribe from Samuels.
Samuels testified at the trial of former police warrant officer Shaun Davids, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of corruption.
The hearing is before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
Police had arrested Samuels and a friend on a Wednesday in November, 2014, for the unlawful possession of crayfish in the boot of Samuels’ car, without a permit.
Davids, to whom the case was allocated for investigation, questioned Samuels the next day.
Samuels told the court: “The accused said the charge was not very serious, but that he had instructions to only take me and my friend to court that Monday”.
“I told the accused I did not wish to spend the weekend in a cell, and that I wanted to go to court the next day (Friday).
The accused said he but would see what he could do.”
Samuels said he asked for a lawyer, but Davids said he would not oppose bail, and that Samuels and his friend could give Davids the money instead, that they would have paid the lawyer.
Samuels added: “I asked the accused how much he wanted, and he said R5 000.
“I said I did not mind paying him R5 000, if he could guarantee that we would get bail.”
It later transpired that the family of Samuels’ co-accused had allegedly given Davids R3 000 and not the R5 000 that he had wanted, Samuels said.
Instead of being released on bail, the pair were remanded for a week, and when Samuels asked Davids why, Davids said it was normal procedure, Samuels said.
Samuels said he was eventually released on R5 000 bail, and later paid a R10 000 fine for the crayfish offence.
Samuels told the court: “In December that year, while I was battling to get back my confiscated car and cellphone, the accused called to inform me that his colleagues were planning a “span bou”.
“He said he wanted to braai and drink with his colleagues at the span bou, and can I give him R1 000. I said I would see what I could do”.
“Later, still nagging me for the R1 000, he asked how I could expect him to arrange for the release of my confiscated car, if I don’t look after him. The first time, he got R3 000 for us to be released on bail, and now he wanted R1 000 for the span bou.”
“I told him I had no money after paying the R10 000 fine, but I would try to make a plan.”
Instead, Samuels went to the police.
The case continues on December 11.
African News Agency
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