Durban - Three policemen stationed at Plessislaer and 10 of their former colleagues were convicted in the Pietermaritzburg District Court of fraud on Monday.
Magistrate Celamusa Zungu found the three policemen - Mlungisi Ndlovu, 32, Madoda Ngubane, 40, and Donald Sokhela, 37 - as well as 10 former policemen - Sthembiso Ndlovu, 34, Thulani Phungula, 51, Bhekizizwe Hlongwane, 45, Mlungisi Mnduweni, 40, Mzamo Kunene, 42, Isaac Majola, 44, Simpson Zondi, 39, Zamokwakhwe Phungula, 43, James Gabese, 41, and Bhekisisa Zondi, 53 - guilty of multiple counts of fraud in the period May 2005 to October 2006.
Two men, Vuma Ngcobo and Mlungisi Ntombela, were acquitted on all counts.
At the time, all the men were employed by the SAPS at Plessislaer and were responsible for provincial hospital guard duty.
The men were found guilty of defrauding the Plessislaer police station by submitting false claims for performing guard duties on various dates.
To execute their fraud, they falsified entries in the SAPS occurrence book register to reflect that they were on duty and entitled to payment, when in fact they were not.
The men submitted false claims ranging from R300 to as much as R6 000. State advocate Charlene Haggard said that in total, they had submitted false claims for more than R200 000.
Arguing in mitigation of sentence, defence attorney, Anesh Sukdeo, said that while his clients had been convicted of a serious offence, he believed they could be rehabilitated.
He also reiterated that three of the men were still police officers, and were loyal to the SAPS.
Sukdeo submitted that had the State’s managerial and administration skills been stronger, his clients would not have been able to defraud the SAPS.
“These are all family men who have served and protected society for a fair amount of their lives. While they do deserve to be punished, they do not deserve to be sent to jail,” Sukdeo argued.
Haggard argued that the men had betrayed society, abused their position of trust as policemen and deserved to be sentenced to the maximum sentence, which was three years for each count they had been convicted of.
“These were crimes motivated by greed, not necessity,” Haggard said.
He submitted that the economy had also suffered as a result of the policemen’s actions.
“They stole money from innocent taxpayers. They were not loyal to the SAPS, they stole from the State and from the people they had a duty to protect. They should be held accountable for their actions,” Haggard said.
The Daily News has established that one of the former policemen, Bhekisisa Zondi, is serving as a police reservist. He has previous convictions for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Police sources indicated that Mlungisi Ndlovu, Madoda Ngubane and Donald Sokhela, who are still SAPS members, were involved in disciplinary hearings with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
They would now be suspended with immediate effect after their convictions.
All the men were released on warning pending sentencing on Thursday.
Daily News