Durban - A South African Police Service (SAPS) officer in KwaZulu-Natal has been arrested for alleged corruption, the SAPS in the province said on Sunday.
On March 6, detectives from the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal anti-corruption unit were approached by a man who informed them that a police officer who issued liquor licences and secondhand goods licences had approached him with regards to fines totalling R9000 owed by him, Brigadier Jay Naicker said in a statement.
The suspect allegedly promised the informant that he would ensure that the fines were withdrawn at court if he was paid an amount of R3000.
"The informant told detectives that during February 2020 he paid the suspect R1500. The suspect demanded the outstanding R1500 from the informant. The man decided to approach the SAPS provincial anti-corruption unit and a case of corruption was opened at Isipingo [in Durban] SAPS for further investigation by the unit," Naicker said.
On Friday afternoon, detectives from the anti-corruption unit conducted a sting operation and the suspect, 48 years old, was arrested at a service station in Isipingo as he received the cash from the informant. The suspect would appear in the Durban Magistrates' Court on Monday on corruption charges, Naicker said.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Khombinkosi Jula hailed the arrest. “While it is disappointing to hear of police officers involved in criminal activities, we remain committed to ensuring that those who display such criminal behaviour are rooted out of the organisation.
"We want to commend members of the community who have come forward to bring such corrupt activities to our attention and we want to assure them that our anti-corruption unit will be arresting more corrupt individuals soon due to ongoing investigations.
"During my tenure I will ensure that the anti-corruption unit is strengthened, and I want [to] reassure members of the community that any information with regards to police officers involved in criminal activities will be given the appropriate attention,” Jula said.