'Cops sold confiscated drugs'
2009-10-27 21:33
Johannesburg - Senior police officers raided flats around Gauteng for drugs only to sell them to drug lords, the South Gauteng High Court heard on Tuesday.
At one point, a man who had collected the drugs to sell for the officers was arrested by another police unit for drug possession. A day later he was released without any charges laid against him.
This was the testimony of Norman Kokoeng, who told the court he was recruited as a police informer by Senior Superintendent Dumisani Jwara, 43, between 2004 and 2005.
Jwara, Captain Landro Mokgosani, 39, and Captain Victor Jwili, 38, pleaded not guilty to 13 charges on Monday. The fourth accused, Captain Sakhepi Caiphus Shange, died in police custody in July.
Syndicate
According to Kokoeng: "He [Jwara] called to say he was promoted from Vereeniging, to a senior superintendent position on the West Rand, and suggested that he should de-register me as an informant in Vereeniging and register me as his informer in the West Rand."
"He then introduced me to Captain Victor Jwili and Captain Sakhepi Caiphus Shange... He told me not to worry as we will operate like we did in the Vaal."
Once this was done, they and other officers continued to raid flats in search of drugs.
"We usually found drugs, money and 419 scam documents... Depending on the amount of money, we sometimes took the cash only and left the drugs."
On occasion they encountered problems as most Nigerians they targeted called their "police officer friends" and told them of the raids. This prompted them to abandon their operation or conduct it properly, by declaring the drugs, instead of selling them.
Dealing at church
At one point Kokoeng's friend, Kenneth Bogopane was arrested for drug possession after the two had collected cocaine, Mandrax and ecstasy from Jwili at a church in Mohlakeng, Randfontein. Jwili, 38, was conducting the church choir at the time.
"Accused one [Jwara] said he'll sort it out... Kenneth was released a day later. He was never charged, never appeared in court," said Kokoeng.
Bogopane's release from custody made up one of the charges against the officers - defeating the ends of justice - along with racketeering, drug dealing, fraud, theft and attempted theft.
The drug trafficking charges relate to their alleged selling of 40 "bullets" of cocaine for R80 000 cash in Hillbrow in 2005.
Airport drugs
On October 3 2007 the three men allegedly stole 198kg of cocaine from OR Tambo International Airport and sold it for R1 425 000.
Six days later they allegedly attempted, but failed, to steal 5.7kg of cocaine from the same airport.
Asked during cross examination to explain how they priced their drugs, Kokoeng said: "When you get the drugs from police, you don't go around trying to figure out how much they are worth... the idea is to get rid of them, so when drugs would normally sell for R60 000, we will sell them for R20 000".
Cross examination continues on Wednesday morning.
- SAPA