Seven Tshwane metro cops arrested for corruption

Seven Tshwane metro police officers were arrested on Thursday morning on charges of intimidation and corruption, metro police said.

Their arrests followed a complaint laid by a 23-year-old Zimbabwean hawker who plies his trade in the Pretoria CBD, said the city's spokesman Console Tleane.

"The hawker alleged that since the middle of September, he has had his goods illegally confiscated by the officers on claims that he was trading illegally," said Tleane.

Ice pops, packets of chips, and airtime vouchers worth R1600 were among some of the goods which had been illegally confiscated from the hawker.

He lodged a complaint with the metro police's internal affairs unit on October 22.

The hawker alleged that on the same date (October 22), he was taken by the officers to the Fountains Valley Resort, just outside the CBD, and was left there to find his way back to the city centre.

It was allegedly while at the resort that his goods were illegally confiscated.

Tleane said the hawker further alleged that he was approached again on November 4 and R500 worth of airtime vouchers were illegally confiscated from him.

"He added that he was issued with a R500 fine for illegal trading and intimidated."

The officers were called in for interviews and statements taken from them.

"It was after he laid complaints that the officers again traced him and arrested him on 24 November on what appear to be trivial charges for being a 'pedestrian cause of danger' and selling illegally in the CBD," said Tleane.

The officers also allegedly confiscated his asylum documents.

The hawker paid an admission of guilt fine and again approached the metro police's internal affairs unit.

It was on the basis of all these developments that the metro police internal affairs unit advised him to also open a case of intimidation with the SA Police Service.

The officers, who include six men aged between the ages of 23 and 37 and a 40-year-old woman, were arrested and detained at the Pretoria Central station.

Tleane said disciplinary procedures would be instituted soon. They would be charged with bringing the department into disrepute and also face charges related to dishonesty and corruption.

"Their appointment certificates, rank insignias, and handguns have been confiscated," he said.