Perjury over fake robbery lands man in court

The 59-year-old opened a case at Brighton Beach SAP, claiming he had been robbed by two men after cashing in a cheque for a substantial amount of money from a bank that morning.

According to the man, when he was in his vehicle, removing the money from his trouser pocket, two men approached him. One of them pointed a gun at him and they grabbed the money and fled the scene on foot.

While interviewing the complainant, Sergeant Paul van den Berg of the Brighton Beach SAP crime office, noticed inconsistencies in the story. He took the man back to the scene to reconstruct the events. Sgt van den Berg interviewed potential witnesses, including car guards, the bank’s security guard and the bank manager. The manager said the man had spoken to her earlier, claiming he had made a withdrawal and placed the money in the cubbyhole of his car, before going to another bank on the mall premises to make another withdrawal. He claimed that upon his return, he found his car broken into and the money missing. The manager suggested he contact Brighton Beach SAP to open a case of theft.

With this evidence, Sgt van den Berg suspected a false report and arrested the man for making a false report of armed robbery under oath. He made his first appearance in the Durban’s Magistrate Court later that day and was charged with defeating the course of justice.

Brighton Beach SAP management commends Sgt van den Berg for the detailed preliminary investigation, which led to revealing the false report. “The public is urged to think twice before opening false cases. When you are caught out, you will be declared unfit to carry a registered firearm and you will have a criminal record. You can face imprisonment, pay a fine or both when sentencing is passed,” said Brighton Beach SAP communications officer, Captain Louise Le Roux.

– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za