Court hears of cop’s unpaid debts

Cape Town - 090127 - At Khayelitsha's Nonceba Hall on National Police Day there was a meeting to help organize how local organizations could assist the police in dealing with community issues. Photo by Skyler Reid.

Cape Town - 090127 - At Khayelitsha's Nonceba Hall on National Police Day there was a meeting to help organize how local organizations could assist the police in dealing with community issues. Photo by Skyler Reid.

Published Jan 18, 2013

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Cape Town - A student police constable had a reputation for not repaying loans from colleagues, the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court heard on Friday.

Student Constable Zolani Jam-jam (SUBS: CORR), formerly a police reservist, has accused his commander, Captain Riaan Jordaan, of extorting R1000 from him, supposedly as payment for helping the junior get a permanent post.

Jordaan has pleaded not guilty before magistrate S Sonnenberg to charges of extortion and corruption.

Jam-jam claims that, after his appointment, Jordaan said to him: “You owe me.”

Prosecutor Xolile Jonas alleges Jordaan told Jam-jam he owed him R4000 for helping to get him a permanent post.

Police later set a trap, and watched from a distance as Jam-jam paid Jordaan R1000.

Jordaan denies the charges, and claims that Jam-jam had repeatedly borrowed money from him and others, and failed to repay it. Jam-jam denied that he had borrowed from anyone.

He was permanently appointed in February 2010, after Jordaan had provided him with a letter of recommendation the year before.

Jordaan, was arrested on October 7, 2011, and is out on R2500 bail.

In Friday's proceedings, Jordaan's lawyer Johan Botes called two police officials who had served at Tulbagh with Jam-jam, and alleged that Jam-jam had a reputation for not repaying loans.

One of them, Constable Aaron Brink, said he was in discussion with Jordaan one day, when Jam-jam asked Jordaan for money for train fare to Cape Town.

Brink told the court: “Jordaan was surprised, and told Jam-jam he had already loaned him money for the train fare.

“Jam-jam said he had used the money for something else, and Jordaan then took R200 or R300 from his brief case, and gave it to Jam-jam.

“On another occasion, I was in discussion with a clerk when Jordaan approached with Jam-jam.

“Jordaan was angry, and demanded that Jam-jam inform him, in our presence, when he would repay the money he had borrowed from Jordaan. In his anger, Jordaan explained to us that Jam-jam was willing to give others money, but could not repay what he had borrowed from Jordaan.”

In cross-examination, the prosecutor said it was strange that neither Brink nor Jordaan could say exactly how much train fare Jordaan had given Jam-jam.

Jonas added: “Both you (Brink) and Jordaan say it was R200 or R300. This indicates a concocted story.

The magistrate explained to Brink: “This is not about the money. Why didn't you just say in your testimony that the accused gave Jam-jam bank notes from his briefcase, and that you thought it could be about R200 or R300?”

Brink replied: “It wasn't much, and when Jordaan counted it, it was between R200 and R300.

The case continues on February 1. - Sapa

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