Money to squash rape charges: Pretoria extortion suspects arrested

Two suspects in an extortion case are scheduled to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on December 18.

This follows their case being postponed yesterday.

Sibusiso Comfort Banda (47) and Nontobeko Elsie Nyandeni (31) were arrested on November 29 following a successful operation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).

The duo were apprehended following a planned operation around Pretoria Central train station, where they had attempted to extort R15 000 from a woman whose son was facing a criminal case.

The extortion initiated a complaint by the victim to the authorities.

“The complainant alleged that her son was arrested on charges of rape in a case that was reported at Soshanguve Police Station at the beginning of November. Following her son’s court appearance, the alleged victim and an accomplice approached the mother, demanding R15 000 in exchange to withdraw the rape charge,” says Captain Lloyd Ramovha.

“The investigator in the rape case was alerted of the extortion demand, leading to the involvement of the Pretoria-based Hawks. On November 29, [the Hawks] conducted a successful operation, resulting in the arrest of both suspects at the train station after they received the demanded money,” he adds.

Banda and Nyandeni were detained at the Pretoria Central Police Station following the bust.

The pair made their first court appearance on December 2, when the matter was postponed to today.

Today, the matter was postponed to December 18, and the accused were remanded in custody.