A Newcastle police officer and a community crime fighter were arrested on Wednesday afternoon and the pair could face charges of defeating the ends of justice pending a police investigation.

The Newcastle Advertiser reported that they were informed about the arrests by a local police officer.

At this stage, it remains unclear whether the two will face criminal charges, as they have not yet appeared in court.

It is believed the arrests are related to a case involving a stolen firearm, and that they may face charges of defeating the ends of justice.

Police confirm arrests

Newcastle SAPS has confirmed the arrests following an investigation into a falsified case.

Amajuba District SAPS spokesperson Constable Nonjabulo Langa told the newspaper that the arrests were made yesterday afternoon.

Langa alleged that the police officer opened a false house burglary case on Monday, claiming his state-issued firearm and safe had been stolen during a break-in at his home.

Investigation findings

According to Langa, further investigation revealed that the firearm was stolen from the officer’s personal vehicle.

“The firearm was recovered in Osizweni on Tuesday, and a suspect was arrested for possession of the stolen firearm. When questioned about the alleged house break-in, the suspect said he had stolen the firearm from the officer’s vehicle on Sunday while washing it,” said Langa.

Police later arrested the Newcastle SAPS member in connection with the false report.

Possible charges

The officer faces possible charges of defeating the ends of justice, perjury, negligent loss of a firearm and failure to safeguard a firearm.

Langa added that the co-accused, a member of a crime-fighting task team, is facing a charge of defeating the ends of justice.

“He initially claimed to have safely recovered the firearm. It was later established that the burglary scene had been staged and that the safe was kept at a friend’s residence,” Langa said.

Court appearance

The officer and crime-fighter are yet to appear in court. It is believed that they may make their first appearance in the Newcastle District Court tomorrow. Investigations are ongoing.

• The article has been amended since it was first published to state that the duo was not arrested for allegedly stealing a firearm, and to include comment from the police.

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