Two police officers allegedly involved in stock theft cases appeared briefly in the Standerton Magistrate's Court on Friday, Mpumalanga police said.
Superintendent Abie Khoabane said Inspector Roy Campbell, 37, of the Standerton stock theft unit, was arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice last month.
This was after farmer Theo Verster caught three men stealing his Bonsmara cattle on June 13. He handed them to Campbell who released two and detained one. The one was released five days later without a charge.
Verster was not happy with the manner in which the matter was handled and reported it to the stock theft unit's commander. Campbell was apprehended.
His case was postponed to July 28 to allow him to get a legal aid attorney.
In a separate incident, Inspector Patric Zulu, 47, along with two other men, Sizwe Mnisi, 28, and Lehlohonolo Selepe, 28, had their case of stock theft postponed to July 17 by the same court.
The matter was put down to allow the three to get legal aid representatives.
They were arrested last month after they allegedly used a police vehicle to tow a private trailer that had been used for stealing livestock.
Khoabane said the two officers were still working but as soon as departmental investigations were complete they would face a disciplinary hearing. - Sapa