A former police commander of the Visible Policing Unit in Tulbagh, in the Western Cape, was fined R30,000 or three years imprisonment on Wednesday for extortion.
The Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court gave a tearful Captain Riaan Jordaan, 40, 24-hours to either pay the fine or face a prison term.
He tried to extort money from police reservist Zolani Jam-jam.
Jordaan issued a letter of recommendation for the permanent employment of Jam-jam in 2009, and later demanded that Jam-jam pay him R40,000, in instalments, as payment for "the favour".
The reservist complained to his seniors and a trap was set for Jordaan.
Magistrate S Sonneberg said Jordaan, as a senior, had put too much pressure on Jam-jam to pay money that he did not owe. This resulted in Jam-jam being unable to perform at his best.
"What makes this offence that much worse is that as a captain you had to be an example to your subordinates, but you were not."
Jordaan had failed the community of Tulbagh, said Sonneberg.
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