A Pretoria magistrate and police officer are facing criminal charges for aiding and abetting a fugitive after allegedly releasing him on bail without a court order.
Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said Jack Opperman, who allegedly disappeared with cash deposits after advertising buffaloes for sale, was arrested at a hideout in Potchefstroom, North West. He was using a false name.
“Opperman appeared before Modimolle Magistrates' Court on 20 September 2017 and was remanded in custody. He was thereafter taken to Pretoria for detention,” said Mojapelo.
“He somehow managed to pay R500 bail which was never granted during his court appearance. The suspect was supposed to appear again in the same court on 16 October 2017 but was nowhere to be found.”
An internal investigation pointed to a magistrate and a warrant officer.
“Preliminary police investigations at the time pointed to possible aiding and abetting. Police have also opened cases of defeating the ends of justice, aiding and abetting against the magistrate and a police warrant officer. Criminal and internal investigations are still continuing in this regard,” said Mojapelo.
Opperman was initially arrested in Witbank, Mpumalanga in August 2017 by the Modimolle police after defrauding prospective customers of their cash.
He had been sought by the police since May 2016 after three cases of fraud were opened against him.
He is expected to appear in the Modimolle Magistrates' Court on Monday on charges of escaping from custody.
- African News Agency (ANA)
