Cop spends birthday in jail after arrest in bribery case

A PORT Elizabeth police detective spent his birthday in jail after being arrested for allegedly extorting a R2 000 bribe amid claims that he could make a drunk driving case “disappear”.

Mount Road police station detective Constable Mlandeli Shakespeare Mafuduka, 40, who was arrested during an undercover sting operation in Sydenham on Friday, was released on R2 000 bail by the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Mafuduka, who spent his birthday – Sunday – behind bars, was arrested for allegedly telling Morne Knoetze that he could make his drunk driving case dating back to March 2014 “go away”.

Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said Mafuduka had allegedly contacted Knoetze earlier this month claiming that the blood results had returned and that the alcohol level “was very high”.

“He allegedly further threatened [Knoetze], saying he hoped he had a good lawyer.”

Mulaudzi said Knoetze queried the case as he was under the impression that it had been finalised.

“The detective told him the case had been reopened.

“In an attempt to get money, the constable allegedly said that if he was paid R2 000 the case would go away.”

Knoetze reported the matter to police, who set up a sting operation together with the Port Elizabeth Organised Crime office.

“An undercover operation was set up and the amount of R2 000 was paid over to Mafuduka. Shortly after the exchange, [Mafuduka] was arrested and the money recovered,” Mulaudzi said.

His case was postponed until July for detectives to investigate further. He is out on bail.

Mafuduka is just one of a number of police officers arrested on bribery-related charges in recent years.

In March, undercover police together with Uitenhage detectives arrested Morne Deyzel, 33, for allegedly paying R1 000 of a R50 000 bribe to make a docket that implicated him in a burglary disappear.