A 36 year old police Warrant Officer from Umtata is due to appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrates’ court on Monday on charges of theft of state property and negligent loss of a firearm.
Colonel Priscilla Naidu says that on Friday, the officer from Madeira detectives in Umtata allegedly reported a case of robbery which supposedly took place in front of a hotel in Prospect Hill Street in Central.
He further alleged that he was robbed of his state firearm, cash and cell phone.
Video footage outside the hotel, however, revealed that the police officer was seen meeting two men who got into his vehicle nd after a while they exited and left.
Further probing revealed that the officer had lied and that the firearm, money and cell phone was given to the men.
He said he'd met with the men earlier in the day as he wanted them to pray for his 'misfortunes.'
The member was arrested and detained at SAPS Humewood.
The Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga has expressed her concern that police officers are engaging in corrupt activities.
She said it was in the interests of society that SAPS expose and root out corrupt elements within the Province through zero tolerance to corruption.
