Amukelani Clifford Shisandaku, a police sergeant from Johannesburg central police station, is expected in court to answer to charges of corruption and extortion.
The 44-year-old Shisandaku was arrested by the Hawks on Thursday following a complaint of corruption. He is due at the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said a complainant has accused Shisandaku of abusing his powers while attending to a complaint of theft at a flat in Joburg CBD.
“It is reported that on Tuesday, October 4, the sergeant attended to a complaint of theft of R4 000 in cash at a flat in the Johannesburg CBD. On arrival, the police officer interviewed the landlord of [the residence where] the victims had apparently lost the cash,” said Ramovha.
“He then ordered [the landlord] to come with [him] to the police station, where he searched him and discovered R2 500 in his possession.
“Despite protestation from the landlord that the money was his, the sergeant reportedly forced him to confess to the theft and insisted that he pay the alleged theft victims the balance immediately.”
Ramovha said Shisandaku demanded a bribe from the landlord to have the case thrown out.
“Subsequently, the police officer reportedly demanded R5 000 from the landlord in order to make the case go away. He demanded that the money be paid to him by the following day,” said Ramovha.
“The landlord agreed and consequently notified the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation team, which resulted in the arrest of Shisandaku on Thursday, October 6 2022, during a calculated [police] operation.”
The suspect appeared in court last week and the case was postponed to Tuesday for a bail hearing. Shisandaku was remanded in police custody.
For more crime stories click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
