Johannesburg - Two senior police officers are currently appearing in different courts on fraud and corruption charges, the Hawks said on Monday.
Colonel Mohale Masia, 51, allegedly tried to solicit R6 000 from an accused in October last year for him to get bail and have his docket destroyed, spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.
He was attached to the Sophiatown, Johannesburg, visible policing unit.
The matter came to light through a tip-off. He appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday and his case was postponed to November 12.
In the other matter, Lieutenant Boitumelo Ramahlaha allegedly communicated via cellphone with a police imposter currently serving a 14-year-jail term in Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru prison.
The imposter, Alex Matsobane Maake, alias Captain Mailula, and Ramahlaha, were friends. Ramahlaha worked at the police’s Limpopo head office.
Maake’s wife, Isabella Kgomotso Maake and a labour relations official at the Limpopo education department, Mokgadi Portia Mehlape, were arrested along with Ramahlaha.
They face charges of contravening the Correctional Services Act and the Rica Act.
Mulaudzi said they allegedly worked as a team. They appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court on Friday. They were released on R500 bail each and their case was also postponed to November 12.
"We are trying to show the public, and warn them about smuggling in cellphones [into prisons]. It’s illegal. We are going to make sure we stop this nonsense," Mulaudzi said.
Ramahlaha was facing a separate charge of fraud for allegedly introducing Maake to the Seshego, Polokwane, police station commander as a captain from the police’s national head office.
Mulaudzi said Maake had access to all police resources, including firearms.