Woman in cuffs for perjury after lying about robbery
Making false statements under oath is a criminal offence, and it diverts police resources from genuine investigations.
A 55-year-old woman was arrested for perjury by Brakpan SAPS detectives on Tuesday after she opened a false case of robbery.
The woman reported she had just been robbed of her valuables and needed to claim from her insurance company.
Upon receiving the report, Detective Sergeants Monti Tshabalala and Gladys Lekoadu visited the crime scene.
The detectives went to a shop at the corner of Prince George and Kingsway avenues and requested to view security video footage covering the shop surroundings, with the hope of picking up any kind of evidence or seeing the perpetrator on the footage.
“The police officers were surprised when the video footage showed the woman’s movements until she drove off, but did not see anything that the woman had narrated to them regarding the robbery,” said Brakpan SAPS Sector 1 manager and communications officer Constable Audrey Buthelezi.
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The detectives then returned to the police station and interrogated the woman, which resulted in her confessing to have lied about the robbery. The woman was placed under arrest and detained for perjury.
She falsely stated under oath that her Guess purse, a Samsung S22 cellphone, a Guess handbag, an expensive perfume and R2 800 in cash were stolen during the robbery. She claimed the value of all the stolen items was around R31 300.
“Brakpan SAPS would like to convey a strong warning to the public about opening false cases with the intention of fraudulently claiming money from insurance companies,” said Buthelezi.
“Perjury is a criminal offence and may result in severe penalties, including heavy fines and long-term imprisonment.”
WO Maud Strydom, on behalf of detective branch commander Colonel Eugene Scheepers, applauded the detectives for their dedication and hard work.
She stated the arrest will be a lesson to those who are thinking of misusing state resources by lying and committing fraud.
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