A man, 44, from Temba – who allegedly promised potential metro police recruits a position at the metro police training academy by charging them a fee – got more than he bargained for when he was arrested by the Hawks.
Tshwane metro police officers and the Hawks swooped on Michael Monama at the Temba City shopping complex on Wednesday.
He briefly appeared in the Temba Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of fraud, corruption and impersonating a police officer.
He will remain in custody until his next appearance on July 27.
His arrest followed a complaint by a young woman from Makapanstad village in North West to metro police that she had not been called up to start training to become a metro police officer.
Tshwane metro police spokesman Console Tleane said the woman was very surprised when she heard that recruits were being called up.
“The victim claimed she had paid the suspect R6 500 to secure a position as a student. The suspect allegedly told her that he is a metro police officer who could assist her to secure a vacancy,” he said.
When the woman confronted Monama she was told that an extra R3 000 was needed before she could start training.
Tleane confirmed that Monama was not a metro police officer.
He said 500 recruits had started a two-year training programme at the Tshwane Metro Police Academy at the beginning of last month.
“This followed a rigorous recruitment process. Potential recruits underwent physical, psychometric and medical evaluation.”
Tleane said the Tshwane metro police department wished to inform the public, especially young people who wanted to enlist as recruits for the metro police course when other vacancies became available, that the enlisting was free. No money or any form of application fee was required to become a recruit.
“The application process is free and should only be done at designated places, usually metro police regional offices, whenever advertisements are issued.”
At no stage were potential recruits expected to pay a fee, whether for the application or the physical, psychometric or medical assessment, he said.
“Instead, the successful recruits who are on the two-year course are paid a stipend. They do not pay a cent to the metro police.
“We further advise interested parties never to allow themselves to be duped into making any special arrangement with any person.
“The recruitment process is open and transparent, and should therefore not be contaminated by elements purporting to be metro police officers. The Tshwane metro police department will deal harshly with any person who may wish to impersonate any of its members,” he said.
Pretoria News