Police have issued a stern warning to people who stage crimes and lie under oath, after four suspects were arrested in Soshanguve, Gauteng, for staging a kidnapping and allegedly robbing a relative in the process.
Officers at the Soshanguve police station were first alerted to a potential kidnapping in progress on Tuesday, January 14, and immediately mobilised resources to investigate, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.
A few hours later the ‘victims’ were found unharmed in a section of bush near the New Nkandla informal settlement, which is near Stinkwater.
These supposed victims said they had been kidnapped by unknown men driving a white taxi, who then robbed them of their cellphones and forced them to transfer an undisclosed amount of money from their bank accounts.
However, upon further investigation police alleged that three of the victims had actually staged the kidnapping in order to rob the fourth victim, who is the aunt of one of the suspects.
Officers then traced the taxi driver who had kidnapped them and four suspects were arrested, including a Crime Prevention Warden, who was among the staged kidnap victims.
The suspects have been charged with perjury, conspiracy to commit crime, defeating the ends of justice, theft of cash as well as extortion.
“Reporting of false cases wastes the SAPS’ time and resources, which could have been utilised effectively to investigate other serious cases,” the SAPS said.
Gauteng’s Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, gave a stern warning to those intending to commit such crimes.
"Community members are urged to refrain from opening false cases at police stations. Perjury is an offence that is punishable by law. We will not tolerate any misuse of State resources," Lt Gen Mthombeni said.
IOL