Hoaxes 'waste time, money'
2004-05-26 12:08
Johannesburg - West Rand police on Wednesday reiterated the warning that false hijacking reports waste the police's time and lead to criminal charges.
This follows the court appearance on Tuesday of a man and a woman who claimed that they were overpowered at an ATM in Randfontein and that their bakkie was stolen, Inspector Yolande Bouwer said.
The anti-hijacking unit investigated the case and witness statements disproved their claims.
Wynand Viljoen, 33 and his girlfriend Magdalena "Yvonne" Erasmus, 23, were arrested and Viljoen confessed to a magistrate that he had lied, Bouwer said.
"West Rand anti-hijacking unit is sending out a strong message to the public not to waste police's time with false complaints, after having arrested a couple on charges of defeating the ends of justice, after they falsely reported a hijacking," Bouwer said.
They will appear again in the Krugersdorp hijacking court on June 4.
Another woman, 26-year-old Louvella Rich from Johannesburg is currently on bail of R5 000 and awaiting trial, also for allegedly claiming she had been hijacked in an SMS to her boyfriend.
About 20 police vehicles from various units and two helicopters were despatched to search for her, along with 100 policemen. The Alexandra community was also called upon to assist in the search after she claimed the hijackers had dumped her there.
In March former church minister Paul Beyl, 40, was sentenced to three years' correctional supervision by a Pretoria district court magistrate for lying about being hijacked.
Beyl, from Wonderboom, pleaded guilty to perjury after claiming he had been hijacked and kidnapped from his house. After a 48-hour police manhunt, his vehicle was found outside a block of flats in Arcadia. He told police he had been blindfolded, kidnapped and dumped in an open veld.
Beyl later admitted having lied, and said he had spent the night at a casino hotel.
- SAPA