Durban cops jailed for three years on R50m extortion charge

08 July 2020 - 15:13 By Nonkululeko Njilo
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Three police officers who ordered a businessman to pay R50m to avoid arrest were sentenced to three years' imprisonment this week. A fourth man will be sentenced later this month.
Three police officers who ordered a businessman to pay R50m to avoid arrest were sentenced to three years' imprisonment this week. A fourth man will be sentenced later this month. 
Image: Elvis Ntombela

Three police officers who ordered a businessman to pay R50m to avoid arrest were sentenced to three years' direct imprisonment this week, said the Hawks. 

The officers were identified as Pradeep Masallia, a former Durban Central K9 warrant officer, Sgt Abdul Rahim and Abdool Yameen Sadik, both of Durban Central police. They were sentenced by the Alexandra magistrate's court in Johannesburg on Monday. 

Hawks spokesperson Capt Ndivhuwo Mulamu said the trio was arrested in July 2019 during an intelligence-driven operation, along with their accomplice Bradley Matthews, a former Durban Central K9 sergeant.

The group had introduced themselves as Hawks officials investigating a fraud case against a businessman in Kyalami, Gauteng. 

“They demanded that he pay at least R50m to avoid being arrested for fraud. While in his office, they demanded access to his bank accounts and successfully transferred almost R9.8m into their personal bank accounts,” said Mulamu. 

The trio pleaded guilty to the extortion charges.

Matthews, who had maintained his innocence, is expected to be sentenced on July 23 at the same court.


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