Cop claims money was repayment
2013-01-17 22:08
Cape Town - A sum of R1 000 paid to a police captain
accused of extortion was for the repayment of a loan, the Bellville Specialised
Commercial Crime Court heard on Thursday.
Captain Riaan Jordaan, accused of accepting a corrupt
payment, claimed the money was the repayment of numerous loans he made to
student Constable Zolani Jam-jam in
August 2011.
At the time, Jordaan was commander of the visible
policing unit at Wolseley.
Jordaan said that Jam-jam pressed the charges to avoid
repaying the money.
In October 2011, Jordaan was arrested and released on R2 500
bail after pleading not guilty to a charge of extortion and another of
corruption.
Jam-jam, who was a police reservist at the time, alleged
that Jordaan gave him a letter of recommendation in 2009, which was required
for his permanent appointment to the police force.
In February 2010, Jam-jam was accepted as a full-time
police officer.
Prosecutor Xolile Jonas alleged that Jordaan regarded the
letter of recommendation as a "favour" and that after Jam-jam's
appointment, he repeatedly told Jam-jam: "You owe me”.
When Jam-jam asked him what he meant by this, Jordaan
allegedly replied that he expected R4 000 in exchange for the recommendation.
Jordaan denied this.
"I never made any threats, nor did I ever say that
Jam-jam owes me for helping him get a permanent post in the police."
He said he lent Jam-jam the money because Jam-jam did not
earn much money as a farmworker and as a police reservist.
Jordaan said he had kept no record of the loans, but
estimated that Jam-jam owed him R3 000.
According to the charge sheet, an undercover operation
was set up to trap Jordaan, during which he accepted R1 000 from Jam-jam.
Under cross-examination, Jordaan said he had 22 years of
service and regarded Jam-jam as a son.
He also claimed that reservists received no remuneration,
but this was refuted by official documents that showed Jam-jam was paid for 64
hours work between September and December 2006.
Jordaan said: "I agree what I said about reservists
not being paid was not true."
The trial continues on Friday.
- SAPA
