Cop held for 'selling' jobs

2008-01-30 21:07

Nelspruit - A 48-year-old police inspector was arrested on Wednesday after allegedly charging people R2 500 for training and eventually jobs in the SA police service, Mpumalanga police said.

Captain Leonard Hlathi said the police's Organised Crime Unit arrested the officer from Bushbuckridge while he was on duty.

This came after youths he had promised to send to training in January came to the police station to enquire about admission.

Hlathi said: "The youths were promised training this month. They came to the police station to find out when no one contacted them.

"The officer was apparently assisted by a woman to lure the youths and their parents to give out money."

Hlathi said the woman was also a victim as she allegedly handed over R8 000 to the inspector from people who desperately wanted to be police officers.

"The officer allegedly defrauded seven people in his area, and had made over R13 000 in a scam that began in 2006."

The money was mostly handed to him personally and at times deposited into his account.

Hlathi said only one person had since received his money back.

The inspector faced seven counts of corruption and would appear in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate's Court on Thursday, said Hlathi.

- SAPA