Cops in court after accident

Taxi driver also appears after quantities of juice, yoghurt allegedly looted

Five members of the Beacon Bay police station and a taxi driver appeared in court on Thursday in connection with the theft of 452 litres of juice and yoghurt.

The six were released on R1,000 bail by the East London magistrate’s court and are due back in court in September.

The five constables – Azola Ndongeni (33), Mkolisi Matthews Gola (38), Luthando Klaas (34), Siyabonga Freddie and Siseko Dayimani (33) – face charges of corruption while Xolani Valantiya, 43, a taxi driver from Macleantown, appeared for theft.

According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Anelisa Feni, the six men allegedly stole the products from a truck that was involved in an accident on the road between East London and Macleantown.

“It is alleged that during the afternoon of Tuesday, a truck which carried juices and yoghurts was involved in an accident on the road between East London and Macleantown.

“Police members on duty at Beacon Bay police station attended the scene and allegedly looted the truck of the goods. The members are also accused of loading the boxes of juices and yoghurt in a police vehicle. The taxi driver was allegedly also at the scene and is accused of looting the truck of boxes of juice,” Feni said.

The goods were recovered at various places in East London including the police barracks. The six will appear in court on September 20.