'EFF' trio in hot water for refusing to pay for groceries

Pretoria police are investigating a case of theft and intimidation against three men who threatened staff at a Shoprite supermarket in Sunnyside and tried to leave the store with trolleys full of groceries without paying.

Sunnyside police spokesperson‚ Captain Daniel Mavimbela‚ said the suspects‚ aged between 18 and 23‚ were arrested on Tuesday after the march by the EFF to the Union Buildings‚ planned to coincide with the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.

“It is reported that the suspects … were part of a group of people that were clad in the regalia of the Economic Freedom Fighters who‚ following the EFF march to the Union Buildings on Tuesday‚ allegedly threatened the staff at Shoprite and ordered them to close the store while the suspects took groceries from the shelves‚” he said.

 Mavimbela said the suspects are accused of refusing to pay for the groceries after the cashiers had scanned them.

He said security guards stopped the trio from leaving with their loot.

“The local police managed to restore order after they (were) summoned to the supermarket‚ which led to the arrest of the trio‚” Mavimbela said.

He said the suspects were not asked to plead when they appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

The trio‚ released on R500 bail each‚ are back in court on August 28.