PARKTOWN – Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has applauded the team from the Provincial Organised Crime: Narcotics and Projects for refusing a bribe from a wanted murder and CIT-robbery suspect.
Police received a tip-off about the whereabouts of a wanted murder suspect and then operationalised the information that led to the arrest of Themba Nkosi on Tuesday 22 October 2019 at Trade Route Mall in Lenasia.
It is alleged that Nkosi, who is on bail for another case of possession of illegal firearms, contacted the police and offered them R10 000 for him not to be arrested.
The members “agreed” to accept the money and made arrangements to meet with the suspect who allegedly paid a sum of R3 000, for which he was then arrested. A Volvo sedan and the R3 000 cash were seized.
Investigations are underway to establish linkage to previous serious and violent crimes as police believe Themba Nkosi could be a suspect in a cash-in-transit robbery that took place on September 2019 on Kliprivier near Meyerton, and another one in KwaZulu-Natal.
Nkosi made his first appearance in the Protea Regional Court on Wednesday, 23 October 2019 on charges of murder and corruption; and will make a second appearance a week later on 30 October 2019.
Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has urged the team to keep up the exemplary conduct as the SAPS strives to gain public trust and restore confidence in the Service. “It is commendable that this is the same team of investigators who in March this year, refused a bribe of R11 000 and arrested a man who tried to pay the police money in exchange for releasing his brother who was amongst suspects arrested during a drug bust in Kew, north of Johannesburg. We thank them for conducting their business with integrity,” cited the Provincial Commissioner.