PIETERMARITZBURG-BORN soccer player Bryce Moon has been arrested again — for obstructing police officers from performing their duties — provincial police said yesterday.
Spokesperson Captain Thulani Zwane said that on Friday afternoon police were called to Curry Road, Woodlands, after a Scooters Pizza delivery motorbike was reported stolen.
Zwane said police identified their suspects on the scene and while they were arresting them, Moon allegedly interfered.
The two suspects, who were arrested for theft, are said to be his friends.
“Moon was arrested and released on R1 000 bail. He resisted arrest, but the police managed to subdue him and he was formally charged at Mountain Rise police station. He is appearing in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court tomorrow,” Zwane said last night.
Scooters manager Shakila Harichand said a man who identified himself only as Moon phoned in ordering three large pizzas on the day in question.
“I can’t remember the street name, but the address was a No. 4. My delivery man told me that when he got to the address the men who attended to him became aggressive and started swearing at him.
‘He said they took the pizzas and went into the house, while one of the men took his motorbike away. They wouldn’t pay for the pizzas and my employee walked back to the shop and we reported the matter to the police.”
Harichand said a man later came into the store and offered to pay for the pizzas by credit card.
“Even the transaction on that credit card was not approved. He kept on saying they were just joking; they didn’t mean to upset my employee. But the matter now is in the hands of the police, and the pizzas have not been paid for.”
Moon’s father, Patrick, said this was not a serious matter but just a misunderstanding. “When the police got to the scene they arrested a man for an incident which occurred in the presence of my son. He had witnessed it and when he tried to tell the police that they were arresting the wrong person, they took him too.
“He was not involved in any wrongdoing and he was released the same day,” said Moon senior.
When contacted for comment, Bryce Moon said: “There was some confusion, but I can’t speak now because I’m driving. Call me later.” When he was phoned later his phone was on voice mail.
Gavin Hunt, his coach at SuperSport United, was shocked to hear the news of Moon’s arrest, but he would not comment.
“I’ll have to speak to the boy and hear his side of the story first. I can’t comment on the matter now,” said Hunt.
Moon is involved in an ongoing culpable homicide trial after a woman was knocked down and killed in Johannesburg in 2009 by a car allegedly driven by the footballer. The case began some months ago and has been postponed to March.
Moon was hospitalised with injuries to his head, arms and left leg after the crash.
It has been alleged in court that he was drunk.
According to police reports at the time, Moon lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree after his car struck the woman, who died in hospital.
He was returning from the Aaron Mokoena Foundation Banquet, held in Sandton after the Confederations Cup final between Brazil and the United States.
