Car rentals‚ airline tickets: former top cops in the dock over alleged lavish lifestyle

25 April 2017 - 14:40 By Farren Collins
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Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer with national commissioner Riah Phiyega in 2013.
Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer with national commissioner Riah Phiyega in 2013.
Image: ESA ALEXANDER

Despite princely donations from a wealthy businessman‚ former Western Cape police commissioner‚ Arno Lamoer‚ and some of his brigadiers allegedly still lived beyond their means.

Lamoer and former top cops Darius van der Ross‚ Colin and Sharon Govender are facing 109 charges of corruption‚ racketeering and money laundering in the High Court in Cape Town. In the dock with them is businessman Salim Dawjee.

On Tuesday the court heard how Dawjee allegedly footed the bill for the officers' car rentals‚ airline tickets and even swimming pool maintenance.

Captain Wynand Wessels read out his testimony pertaining to lifestyle audits he had conducted on the accused between October 2011 and November 2013.

Wessels‚ the commander of the financial investigative unit at the Hawks in the Western Cape‚ said the accused received regular ''donations'' from Dawjee yet they continued to live beyond their means.

Other costs included golf sponsorships and petrol payments.

Dawjee's generosity tallied about R1.6-million. But in return he allegedly received preferential treatment from the officers.

The accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The case continues.

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