Three men have been arrested for opening a false hijacking case.
The three suspects claimed to have been hijacked while driving along Watson Highway Road in Tongaat, North of Durban.
According to police reports the three men, including two passengers and a driver claimed to have been driving in a VW Polo when a hitchhiker stopped them.
“The hitchhiker allegedly pointed a weapon at the driver who was instructed to drive towards Umdloti area. While at Umdloti the said vehicle crashed into another vehicle and into a barrier,” explains KZN police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane
According to the driver, the alleged hijacker fled the scene. However, after an investigation, detectives discovered that it was all a lie.
The three suspects aged between 18 and 22 were arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice. They appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court and released on R500 bail.
Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane told Drum that they have recorded two cases this month alone where people opened false cases of hijacking.
“There is an increase number of people opening false cases. Some are doing it because they want to claim from car insurances. There is another case we are working on where people opened a false hijacking case,” he explains.
According to the SAPS website, the crime of defeating or obstructing the course of justice consists of unlawfully and intentionally engaging in conduct which defeats or obstructs the course or administration of justice.
According to Witbank News, another man was arrested after he allegedly lied about his car being hijacked. It was later discovered that Vusi Mahlangu’s car was repossessed not stolen as he had alleged. He was later sentenced up three months in prison.
Yesterday, Durban North SAPS arrested a 38-year-old suspect for defeating the course of justice. The suspect alleged that on 3 August 2018, he had parked his vehicle near the M4 highway to pay workers at a local construction site. Whist walking towards them he was confronted by two armed men who pointed firearms at him, assaulted him and robbed him of a bag he was carrying as well as his cellphone. They allegedly fled with the bag containing cash in their getaway vehicle towards Durban.
A case of armed robbery was opened at Durban North police station for investigation. During the course of the police investigation the investigating officer soon established that the suspects story did not correspond with evidence available and that he had opened a false case. He was then charged for defeating the course of justice and he will appear in the Durban Magistrates Court soon. Communities are once again urged to refrain from opening false cases as valuable police resources are wasted and this puts a further strain on the limited resources at polices disposal.
