CAPE TOWN - A 38-year-old suspect was arrested for opening a false case, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Tuesday.
In a statement, police said the suspect alleged that on August 3, he had parked his vehicle near the M4 highway to pay workers at a local construction site. Whilst walking towards the workers, he was confronted by two armed men who pointed firearms at him, assaulted him and robbed him of a bag he was carrying, as well as his cellphone, and fled the scene with the bag containing cash in their getaway vehicle.
“A case of armed robbery was opened at Durban North police station for investigation. During the course of the police investigation, the investigating officer soon established that the suspect's story did not correspond with the evidence available and that he had opened a false case,” the police said.
The suspect was charged for defeating the course of justice and he will appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court.
“Communities are once again urged to refrain from opening false cases as valuable police resources are wasted and this puts a further strain on the limited resources at police's disposal,” police added.