A 46-year-old police officer was arrested for lying about losing his firearm, claiming he was robbed by three men.
In a statement on Sunday, the office of the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner reported the man was charged with perjury and defeating the ends of justice for the false claim he made on June 8 at the Mariannhill police station.
“The suspect allegedly reported that he was returning from work when he was approached by three unknown men outside his house in Savanah Park. He was held up by the suspects who demanded his service pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition,” the statement reads.
His statement was then allocated to an investigating officer who looked at the matter further.
“During the investigation it was established that there were contradictions in the man’s statement. The complainant was reinterviewed and it was discovered that he had reported a false case.
“He was informed that making a false statement is a criminal offence. It was established by the investigating officer that he had lost his firearm and did not report the matter to his employer. He was arrested and detained at the Mariannhill police station and will appear before the Pinetown magistrate’s court on Monday.”
The provincial commissioner appealed to the community to refrain from opening false cases.
“It is a criminal offence to lie under oath and those who do so will face the full might of the law.”
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