Man tries to con police
A man was arrested after he falsely claimed that he and a friend were hijacked by six policemen.
THE Hillcrest SAPS has recently been experiencing an influx of false cases being reported at the station.
According to Lt France Mkhize, of the Hillcrest SAPS, some of the issues that police have had to deal with include cases where residents provide false information in their report to claim from their insurance companies. “After a robbery, for example, people would include items that were not stolen during the robbery. This amounts to fraud. It is a serious offence and could lead to jail time or a hefty fine,” said Mkhize.
In another incident, a 20-year-old New Germany resident falsely reported (on On Thursday 24 April) that he and a friend were hijacked on Kassier Road in Assagay on Wednesday 23 April, after they were flagged down by a marked police vehicle with six occupants who were fully dressed in police uniform. He also reported that after they stopped the vehicle (a VW Golf) the policemen robbed them at gunpoint, taking a jacket, cell phone and R200, before fleeing the scene with the Golf.
The resident reported the incident the following day, and claimed that the report was delayed, because he and his friend had been recovering from the shock. Subsequently, the details of the alleged stolen vehicle was circulated by the SAPS.
Further investigation revealed that the men had each provided different versions of the event in their initial reports, and they were summoned back to the police station for clarification.
During the interview, however, the friend admitted that the hijacking never occurred. The 20 year old subsequently also confessed that the report had been erroneous and provided police with the true explanation.
In his confession the man claimed that on Wednesday 23 April they fled from Metro Police after they were asked to stop the vehicle, because he had several unpaid traffic fines. Subsequently, they abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The vehicle was later found and impounded by Gillitts Metro Police.
The resident was charged with defeating the ends of justice and appeared at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 29 April.
Mkhize also said that fraudulent reports such as this one not only increases the already escalating crime rates, but also wastes the SAPS’s resources, places unnecessary burden on the investigating officers and damages the reputation of the police.
“Reports, such as this one, that claim that people are impersonating police officers tarnishes our reputation and credibility, making it more difficult for police do our job and to keep crime down” said Mkhize.
