Police union boss Zwelinkosi Reuben Mdletshe is a wanted man, the Hawks said on Thursday.
Mdletshe, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) CEO, and another man, identified as Robert Sherriff, have allegedly been linked to a plot to kidnap and murder prominent Popcru senior officials. This was in a bid to cover tracks linking them to alleged corruption, said Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi in a statement.
“The [Hawks] secured warrants of arrest from the Kempton Park magistrate’s court for Mdletshe and Sherriff. Their pursuit comes in the wake of an apparent elaborate plot to kidnap and murder current serving members within the leadership of Popcru,” said Mulaudzi.
“The investigation commenced in September this year and so far it has revealed there was apparent misappropriation of funds that was carried out through Popcru Investment Group of Companies (PIGC). These substantial transactions were allegedly embezzled since 2016,” Mulaudzi said.
The alleged murder plot was unravelled when a man allegedly employed by Mdletshe and Sherriff to help them carry out killings was arrested.
“A Lesotho national, Neo Letele, was arrested in Kempton Park on November 6 2019. Letele is apparently the middleman who was instructed by Mdletshe and Sherriff to source the assassin, who was to be paid R1m to execute the hit. This was in an attempt to silence those who wanted the two suspects to account for the funds,” Mulaudzi said.
Letele, 34, has already appeared in court twice. He was scheduled to return to court on November 20 for a formal bail application.
Meanwhile, the Hawks have called on members of the public to assist them in locating Mdletshe and Sherriff by contacting Sgt Steve Ndabambi on 082 559 4613 or Capt Naborth Mavuso on 082 461 9486.
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