Warrant officer linked to ‘lost’ bail money

THE police anti-corruption unit in the Eastern Cape is investigating a warrant officer who allegedly pocketed the “bail” money of four women who had been arrested on a charge of fraud.

Provincial police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills confirmed last week that the unit was probing the matter.

The police officer allegedly told the women to pay R4 500 “bail” into his personal bank account. The four women were arrested after they allegedly tried to open an account using fraudulent documents at a clothing store in the East London CBD.

They were arrested at the store on December 28 after the store discovered the documents were forged.

They were taken to a police station in a police van and detained in the holding cells.

The name of the warrant officer is known to the Dispatch but he is not being named as he has not yet been arrested or appeared in court.

He has worked at the station throughout his career.

Mills said the officer was on duty at the “cell block” when the suspects were brought in.

“It is alleged that the warrant officer offered one of the female suspects his cellphone so that she could contact her relatives for bail money for the four of them.”

She contacted the relative and was then allegedly told by the officer to deposit the money into an account, the number for which he reportedly provided her.

Mills said an amount of R4 500 was allegedly deposited into the account.

She said the investigating officer in the case later returned to the cells to release two of the women, as they could not be linked to the fraud.

“These two then asked why the other two women were not being released as bail had been paid for all of them. The investigating officer informed them that he knew nothing about bail being paid and advised the women to open a case of fraud and corruption against the warrant officer,” said Mills.

She said apart from the criminal investigation, an internal investigation had commenced. “The matter is under investigation. As SAPS management we are disappointed when such allegations are made against police officers but we will not tolerate any form of corruption if proven,” Mills said.

Mills said the two women left in the cells appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court. Their case was postponed to a later date for further investigation.

The women are Lungiswa Mqikela, 48, and Pumeza Tophi, 36. —