A 34-year-old suspect arrested in connection with pornographic images with overlaid faces of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Police Minister Bheki Cele will now appear in court on Tuesday.
The suspect was due in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Monday for allegedly contravening the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020.
However, police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase told Sunday World that the matter has been moved to Tuesday because the suspect arrived late in Johannesburg on Sunday from Pietermaritzburg.
“The matter was supposed to be in court on Monday but due to some challenges the suspect will appear on Tuesday,” said Nkwalase.
“We must remember that the suspect was arrested in Pietermaritzburg, so they [the police] travelled with him and faced some challenges on the road, which delayed the journey and resulted in a late arrival in Johannesburg.
“Henceforth, the suspect will only appear on Tuesday. A docket [still] needs to be prepared for the court in order for him to appear, these formalities could not be completed on Sunday.”
The suspect was arrested by members of the Gauteng crimes against the state and the Hawks’ Pietermaritzburg-based serious organised crime investigation team.
Nkwalase said an investigation into pornographic images of unknown individuals with superimposed faces of the president, police minister, and his wife was launched at the beginning of the month.
“The images were distributed to police officers and members of the public on social media platforms, Nkwalase said.
“A 34-year-old suspect was traced and arrested in Azalea, Pietermaritzburg and the device that was allegedly used, as well as sim cards, were recovered in his possession.”
It is alleged that a multitude of other pornographic images were also found on the suspect’s device.
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