Police Officers Sentenced For Taking Bribes

Bellville, Western Cape: Two police officers have been sentenced to direct imprisonment, after they accepted money to return dagga they confiscated during a search and seizure. The court sentenced Gerald Nolan van Nel and Justin Mthetheleli Mhlontlo to an effective five years imprisonment each, after their conviction on a charge of corruption. The court sentenced the two members of the South African Police Services, who were based in Oceanview to ten years imprisonment but suspended half the sentences on condition that they are not convicted for corruption, fraud and forgery during the period of suspension. The court declared them unfit to possess firearms.

During the trial, the court heard that the accused attended a crime scene on 16 January 2015, where an alleged murder was committed. They searched a house pointed out to them and found two bags of dagga on the premises. The two were with their colleague Jacob Store, who was sentenced to five years imprisonment,  wholly suspended for five years after he entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state.

They took Thulani Mazele with them to the police station and did not declare the dagga confiscated on the crime scene. They instead accepted an amount of R2 100 from Mazele for the release of the dagga. They escorted Mazele to his residence, to fetch the money and to drop off the dagga. They divided the money, with each pocketing R700. 

The state asked for direct imprisonment to be imposed,  while the defence suggested a more lenient sentence. The court found that correctional supervision and/or a suspended sentence were not a just sentence after the defence argued for the same to be imposed.

The Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Adv. Nicolette Bell welcomed the sentence indicating that there was a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in the province and hoped that the sentence sent out a strong message to be would-be offenders to deter them.

 Note: The NPA’s media statements are available on the website: www.npa.gov.za

Issued by:

Eric Ntabazalila

National Prosecuting Authority

Regional Communications Manager

Western Cape

Tel: (021) 487 7308Mobile: 073 062 1222

Email: entabazalila@npa.gov.za