TWO men who kidnapped and robbed a police officer in Birch Acres before shooting another man in the leg, will spend the next 15 years behind bars.
Walter Trust Sibamba and Commando Sithole, both 28, were convicted of aggravating robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder in Kempton Park Regional Court. They were sentenced on March 31.
A third suspect was found not guilty.
According to Capt Lesibana Molokomme, spokesman for Norkem Park SAPS, the incident occurred on November 5, 2012.
“Three men hijacked and kidnapped the warrant officer, who worked at a forensic criminal centre in Pretoria, at his home in Birch Acres. The officer had just arrived home in an unmarked state vehicle, a white Toyota Hilux 4×4, at about 9pm when he was approached by three men in a white Toyota Corolla.
They pointed firearms at him and instructed him not to move,” Molokomme said.
The officer’s brother and friend, who were inside the house at the time, came out to meet him and realised he was being held at gunpoint.
“They were instructed at gunpoint to go back into the house, which they did. The criminals forced the victim into the state vehicle and drove away with him. He was later dropped off in Ivory Park.”
The men took the victim’s laptop, police appointment card, two cell phones, bank cards, ID book and R2 000 cash. The state vehicle was recovered the same day at an Ivory Park squatter camp.
According to police, the three suspects robbed another man, who was walking with his girlfriend, on their way to Ivory Park. They shot him in the leg and robbed the two of R1 800, a cell phone and a bag containing clothes.
Luckily, a neighbour of the kidnapped officer was able to take down the registration number of the vehicle the criminal’s were using in Birch Acres. W/O Thomas Mogodi and Const Willie Sello Shibambo of The Tembisa Cluster spotted the car on November 27 along Andrew Mapheto Road next to Birch Acres Mall. All three men in the car were arrested.
