Johannesburg - Three Hawks officers who have been charged with kidnapping and attempted murder along with Radovan Krejcir are back at work, sources say.
The police deny this, however, saying the men are suspended.
Four unrelated sources who are close to the Krejcir investigation have separately spoken to The Star.
They have said Warrant Officer Samuel Modise Maropeng, known by the nickname Saddam, as well as his two co-accused, warrant officers Jeff Nthoroane and Jan Mofokeng, have been seen back in the office of the Germiston Organised Crime Unit in the past two weeks.
One of the sources said the men were boasting that they were back on the beat.
The men were arrested in November last year. It was reported at the time that Saddam had been seen driving numerous vehicles, including a silver Mercedes, a Nissan Navara, a red Ferrari and a Range Rover, and that he lived beyond his means.
The State said Desai Luphondo, Krejcir, Maropeng, Nthoroane, Mofokeng and Siboniso Miya had recruited a man known as Doctor Nkosi to help smuggle 25kg of tik (methamphetamine) to Australia. The drugs were worth R24 million. Nkosi, who worked for a cargo firm at OR Tambo International Airport, disappeared with the shipment.
Krejcir and his co-accused allegedly then kidnapped and tortured Nkosi’s brother to try to force him to reveal where his sibling was.
Their arrests were related to this alleged kidnapping and attempted murder. The State has accused Nthoroane and Maropeng of involvement in the kidnapping of Bhekithemba Bhayiloni Lukele.
The authorities say boiling water was poured on Lukele during an interrogation that lasted hours.
All the men are out on bail, except Krejcir, who is the only accused still in custody.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said the policemen were not back at work, but they were getting a salary.
“They were suspended without salary, meaning we had to conclude their disciplinary within a certain timeframe,” he said.
“Given the complexity of the case, we could not finish within that specified time period. We then decided to keep them on suspension, but with a salary.”
Makgale said the officers had gone to the office to sign documentation related to their suspension, and this was why people thought they were back at work.
“Their disciplinary trial will continue in January with the view to conclude it as soon as possible,” Makgale said.
When The Star contacted Maropeng, he laughed when asked if he was back at work.
“I am not back at work; the police have treated me in a bad way,” he said.
“When I talk about the police I want to burst into tears.”
He said he was suspended from the police service and had not received a salary, but his two colleagues who were charged with the same crime as him (Nthoroane and Mofokeng) were both back at work and getting a salary.
“There are too much things happening in the police,” he said.
Maropeng indicated that both the other officers were sitting next to him. When The Star called Mofokeng, he said he was back at work and was getting a salary and that he would like to meet the journalists in person to tell them more.
Nthoroane did not want to speak.
The police officers did not show up for the meeting, and,when The Star went to their offices, some policemen said the three no longer worked there; however, others told reporters which floor to go to in order to see them.
One witness in a Krejcir-related case said he had also heard that the policemen were back at work.
He was furious, saying “Krejcir’s henchmen are back on the loose”.
Who is Saddam?
Warrant Officer Samuel Modise “Saddam” Maropeng changed his name from Mashego in 2011, according to the Mail & Guardian.
He worked at OR Tambo International Airport before he moved to the West Rand Organised Crime Unit under the command of Colonel Dumisani Jwara.
In 2011, Jwara and two of his colleagues were convicted of intercepting drugs at the airport and then selling them, and were sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in jail.
Maropeng was then transferred to the East Rand Organised Crime Unit in Germiston.
The Star