Former senior cop gets five years in prison on corruption charges

A SENIOR policeman, fallen from grace after years of sterling work, was sentenced to five years in prison by the Port Elizabeth Regional Court yesterday after pleading guilty to corruption.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mhleli Dyonase sat quietly in the dock as the magistrate described him as a highly qualified policeman who had headed up a very important branch in the SA Police Service.

It was still not clear why the 55-year-old had tipped off a suspect in an ongoing card-skimming investigation, although he admitted to having done so when he pleaded guilty to the charges last year.

While defence attorney Dean Murray had called for an outside sentence, state advocate Martin le Roux said the crime fitted a term of imprisonment.

Magistrate Dewald Allers said he had decided to take the middle road by sentencing Dyonase to five years in prison in terms of Section 276(1)i of the Criminal Procedure Act.

This means Dyonase must serve only a sixth of his sentence before he can apply for parole.

In October 2014, Dyonase, who headed up a team of investigators at the commercial crimes branch, tipped off a suspect that she was being watched by the police.

Allers said yesterday that Dyonase’s actions had compromised an investigation, as well as the arrest and prosecution of a suspect.

“No clear reasons were ever given as to the motive,” he said.

Allers said corruption flowed like an enormous wave over South Africa and Dyonase, at the time, was in the ultimate position of trust. He had since resigned from the SAPS.

The magistrate said he also took into account Dyonase’s personal circumstances – that he was a man senior in years and a first offender.

He had three children and a family who would obviously be burdened with any sentence imposed.

Since Dyonase had quit the police, he no longer posed a threat by holding a position of trust.

Allers later dismissed the defence’s application for leave to appeal against the sentence.