Two cops from Hanover Park have appeared in court for allegedly offering to get a gangster out of jail for R5 000.
Warrant Officer Marlon Martin, 45, and Sergeant Ashley Flink, 35, both stationed at Philippi Police Station, appeared on corruption charges at Athlone Magistrates’ Court last week after being arrested by the SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit.
According to a senior officer, the two detectives were nabbed after the confused woman approached the station’s management about her son’s murder case.
“More than a year ago the woman’s son, who is a member of the Vulture Kids gang, stabbed a member of the Ghetto Kids gang and he was arrested for murder,” says the source.
“These two detectives went to the house of the 17-year-old boy and told the woman that he is going to be abused and targeted in Pollsmoor, but if she gives them R5 000 they will get him bail.”
The source says the mom gave the cops R3 000 and, after the teen was released on bail, they returned to collect another R2 000.
“They went to court and told the prosecutor they were not opposing bail and he was released.
“But they fooled that woman because that child was a first-time offender, had a fixed address and is a minor, so he would have been released anyway.
“The woman went to the station and told them what had happened and she made a statement.”
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirms the arrest but according to him, the amount was R1 000.
He says the complainant told cops that on 12 September 2017, she was confronted by two police officials who told her that she must pay them for the release of her son who had been arrested for murder.
“After another threat was made towards the safety of [a relative], the complainant paid an amount of R1 000 in cash to the two police members.
“Both members, aged 35 and 45, were arrested on 13 February on charges of corruption and appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court.
“The case was remanded to 25 March for further investigation and the two members were released on bail of R800 each.”