Constable arrested in connection with double murder over 'stolen' TV

A 31-year-old Mbombela police constable has been arrested after handing himself over to the police in Embalenhle on Saturday in connection with a double murder case.

According to information an elderly woman discovered two men with serious injuries lying a few metres apart on the side of a road.

One of the victims was initially able to respond to her enquiries about their condition but later became unresponsive.

The woman called authorities but when emergency medical services arrived at the scene both men were dead.

“Preliminary investigations suggest the two were hired to perform some work at the home of the constable’s cousin. It is alleged that a television was subsequently stolen from the property, prompting the cousin to seek assistance from his cousin in recovering the stolen item,” said Mbombela police spokesperson Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane.

It is understood the constable and an accomplice found the men and reportedly assaulted them, leaving them at the scene where they were later discovered.

The police member was off duty at the time of the incident. The second suspect has not yet been apprehended.

The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for further investigation.

Acting Mpumalanga provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi said: “No one is above the law. In incidents where crime is alleged to have been committed, such matters should be reported to the police rather than trying to take the law into one’s own hands.” 

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