Cape Town - A man who masqueraded as a police officer from Interpol and demanded R300 000 bribe money from a suspect in Mpumalanga will remain in custody after he was refused bail.
The Directorate for priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said on Wednesday that 40-year-old Gcina Mvimbi Dlamini failed in his bid for bail when he appeared in the Carolina Magistrate’s Court last week.
Hawks spokesperson Major Robert Netshiunda said Sipho Shabangu had been arrested in Swaziland for running a Black Dollar scam and was released after paying R30 000 in Swaziland.
Upon his release earlier this month, he was allegedly approached by Dlamini “who told him that he was from Interpol and was tasked to arrest Shabangu for his shenanigans in the Kingdom of Swaziland”.
According to Netshiunda, “Dlamini then demanded R300 000 for Shabangu’s freedom”.
“Shabangu paid R150 000 in cash and promised to pay the rest on a later date,” Netshiunda said. “Dlamini kept on pressurising Shabangu who ended up taking the matter to the Hawks.
“An investigation was launched and an appointment to hand over the remaining R150 000 to Dlamini was set. The fake Interpol man was arrested seconds after putting the loot in his pocket.”
Dlamini was denied bail when he appeared in court on 15 March and will remain in custody until his next court appearance on April 18.
African News Agency