Magistrate, senior prosecutor on corruption charges
Publish date: 09 February 2010
Issue Number: 2496
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: General
In what is described by Beeld as a 'black day for officers of the law', it reports that a Regional Court Magistrate, senior prosecutor, attorney and several police officers have appeared in court on charges ranging from corruption to rape and murder.
It says Magistrate Ronnie Rambau, prosecutor Estene Willemse and attorney TE Lobisi all appeared in court in Musina where their alleged crimes took place. They were arrested on Friday for allegedly influencing the outcome of several cases - including murder, rape and theft of motor vehicles - so that criminals received either light or suspended sentences. The report says a police informant used marked money to trap the law officers. They were all released on bail of R10 000 each. Magistrates' Commission Secretary Danie Schoeman said an investigation of Rambau's involvement was already under way. He has been suspended until the investigation is completed.
A senior police officer has appeared in court in Sasolburg for allegedly raping a woman in his office. ICD spokesperson Moses Dlamini told Beeld the officer called the woman to type a document and then raped her in the police station. Two police officials have also appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court for murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances after the death of an Egyptian hawker at the Bruma market in the city. Another police officer is being investigated by the ICD for allegedly ordering prisoners in Bloemfontein to eat condoms.
Full Beeld report
Another alleged police rape is being investigated Knysna where police officers on duty over the weekend have been ordered to take part in an identity parade after a Plettenberg Bay woman laid a charge of rape against two on-duty policemen. Die Burger reports that the 32-year-old woman was leaving a restaurant after a birthday celebration when two police officials asked her if they could be of assistance. She asked for a lift to her home and got into the police vehicle. The woman alleges that she was then raped by the two men. Southern Cape police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie told the paper no Knysna police officers would be involved in the investigation.
Full report in Die Burger
And in KZN, a former KwaMashu Police Station constable Njinga Richman Chili has been sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the murder of Bheki Xulu (41) by the Indwedwe Regional Court. A report in The Witness says Chili shot Xulu three times with his service pistol, after Xulu had intervened in an argument between Chili and another man in November 2008.
Full report in The Witness