A number of police dockets were destroyed when a storeroom caught fire at the Barberton Police Station today, November 21.

A provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, said a member of the police saw smoke coming from the storeroom and called for help.

“It was later discovered that the place had caught fire,” explained Mdhluli.

“For now we can indicate that an inquiry has been opened, the fire has been extinguished and the investigation is ongoing,” added Mdhluli.

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He said the circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire would form part of the investigations

He confirmed that according to preliminary investigations, certain dockets were destroyed while some were just partially destroyed.

Without explaining where he got the notion that the destroyed dockets might have included a recent one concerning four police officers attached to Barberton Police Station who were charged with the theft of R1.6m, Mdhluli dispelled the notion.

“With regard to the notion that the docket for the case against the four accused – the docket was not there because it has been handed of the Hawks for investigation,” Mdhluli said.

The four sergeants, Danisile Mahlangu (47), Mandla Ndlovu (49) Bongani Dlamini (40) and Doctor Zulu (42) appeared in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, November 19.

They were charged with theft and defeating the ends of justice.

They were granted bail of R5 000 each and their matter was postponed to January 29 next year.

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They allegedly searched a house belonging to a zama zama paymaster where they allegedly found R1.8m inside a wardrobe on Thursday, November 14.

As the paymaster was not home at the time, the police arrested his son and took him to the police station where they detained him.

It is alleged that the policemen disappeared with the money for five hours without either booking it at the station or charging the arrested suspect.

The arrested man raised alarm and the policemen were phoned to return to the station, and allegedly brought only R200 000, saying that was the only money they had confiscated.

They were arrested and detained in the police cells for the weekend before appearing in court on Tuesday, November 19 and granted the bail.