‘Drunk driver’ turns tables on greedy cops

Two Cape Town police officers have appeared in court after the “drunk driver” they allegedly demanded money from led them to his father - also a police official.

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Bellville – Two police officials, accused of demanding money for the release of an arrested drunken driving suspect, appeared in a court in Cape Town on Monday.

Mzoxolo Toto, 32, and Khululekani Mndlunya, 34, both formerly based at the Nyanga police station, are charged with extortion, corruption and assault.

They appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court, before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, who warned them to appear in court again on April 7.

According to the charge sheet, they were on patrol in the early hours of the morning in June 2013 when they stopped a car and accused the driver, Sisa Yanta, of drunk driving.

They told Yanta they were taking him to the Athlone police station for a blood test, and Yanta lamented that he needed to be at his place of work early in the morning.

Prosecutor Xolile Jonas alleges that they suggested to Yanta that they “talk about it”.

Yanta understood this to mean that they wanted money for his release, and offered them R50.

According to the charge sheet, the two police officials considered the R50 an insult, and laughed at him.

Yanta offered to get more money from his father, and they then followed him to his parental home.

The father, who is also a police official, asked the two policemen why they wanted money. They allegedly replied: “Your son knows why.”

The two policemen became suspicious when the father started asking “too many questions”, and called for backup.

According to the charge sheet, seven police vehicles arrived, and the father and son were arrested, and the father was assaulted in the process.

African News Agency

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