WATCH: Traffic officer being investigated for allegedly stealing cellphone
The officer has been asked to provide reasons for why he should not be suspended.
A Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officer is under investigation after CCTV footage appears to implicate him in the theft of a cellphone at a fast food outlet, the Kwazulu-Natal transport department said on Saturday.
Department spokesperson Kwanele Ncalane said they were probing the incident and had sent a letter to the implicated officer, requesting clarity on the matter and “reasons why he should not be suspended”.
The department’s investigation is running alongside a criminal investigation by local police, Ncalane added.
The video footage shows the officer at the front of the queue at a fast food outlet. After standing for a few minutes, he removes what appears to be a cellphone from the store counter and places it in his pocket.
He then leaves the store.
There are other customers in the store at the time, but they appear unaware of what is taking place.
According to Daily News, the incident allegedly took place in Pietermaritzburg.
Ncalane added: “The uniform of our officers must be respected. We expect our officers to be beyond reproach and as such we take this incident in a very serious light.”
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