Pretoria – Two alleged Hawks’ impostors, Stanley Ewulu, 42, a Nigerian national based in Sandton and Peter Molomo, 38, from Pretoria West, appeared at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court facing charges of extortion and corruption.
North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the director of public prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana said Ewulu will face a further charge of being in South Africa illegally.
“It is alleged that the pair approached the complainant, introduced themselves as Hawks investigators from the Pretoria office and demanded R300 000 in order to destroy a case docket that was opened against him,” Mahanjana said.
“They also promised to hand over a vehicle that belonged to the complainant, as well as his refugee documents that were confiscated by the Sunnyside police.”
The complainant reported the matter to the Hawks serious corruption investigation unit in Germiston.
An entrapment operation was set up and the two were arrested last week at Time Square in Menlyn, east of Pretoria.
The matter was postponed to March 22, for further investigations and possible bail applications.
Last month, a 45-year-old woman was arrested for impersonating police in Joburg CBD, after she was allegedly part a group of fake police officers demanding passports from people on the streets.
“It is alleged that four bogus police (officers) stopped two women at the corner of Bree and Von Weiligh streets and showed them their fake appointment cards and demanded their passports,” Joburg central police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said.
“They (the confronted women) failed to produce them and they (the bogus officers) demanded R500 from each of them or face arrest. The victims only had R100 and they told them that they were under arrest.”
The SAPS received a tip-off from a community member about the bogus police officers robbing people.
IOL