Six busted for impersonating Hawks, corruption
The Hawks have arrested seven suspects, including a convicted criminal who is serving a sentence at the Kgoshi Mampuru Correctional Services in Pretoria.
The arrests came after an inmate called the Phalaborwa police station in Limpopo and pretended to be a Lieutenant Colonel from the Hawks. The fake colonel informed the police of a suspect who was to appear at the local magistrate’s court, and instructed them to make contact with the suspect’s family members and give them his contact details.
Upon calling the fake cop, the family members were told to deposit an undisclosed amount of money into a well-known bank account so that the suspect could be released on bail and for the destruction of the case docket.
The suspects, two men and four women, who were arrested in Brits and Witbank, will appear before the Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, facing charges of corruption and impersonating police officers. The process is also underway for the already convicted suspect to have his day in court. The suspects are aged between 28 and 45 years.
This is the second breakthrough after another six people were arrested after having used the same modus operandi to con unsuspecting family members. Margaret Polo (43), Simon Motlhasedi (33), Rachel Holmes (32) as well as inmates David Mellow, Donald Mahlabathi and Jimmy Moeti. Polo, Motlhasedi and Holmes are currently out on R1000 bail each and will also be back in the dock on Wednesday with their co accused.
Enquiries:
Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi
Cell: 082 373 2408
