Staff Reporter
The Odendaalsrus Regional Court has sentenced a police officer to a total of 50 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to corruption, two counts of theft and defeating the ends of justice.
Magistrate Nompumelelo Gusha sentenced Warrant Officer George Frederick de Bruin, 51, to 15 years for corruption, 15 years for theft of a SAPS laptop, 15 years for theft of a police docket and five years for defeating the ends of justice.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said in a statement on Tuesday that De Bruin approached a man who was facing a charge of reckless and negligent driving in January this year and asked him to pay R10 000 in order to make the docket disappear.
He said the complainant refused to pay for the disappearance of the docket but De Bruin tried to persuade him on several occasions.
De Bruin, who was dismissed from the SAPS after the incident, stole the docket from the police officer who was investigating the reckless and negligent case against the complainant.
“The complainant reported De Bruin to the Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit of the SAPS and an entrapment was arranged,” said Shuping in the statement.
The complainant was given R5 000 by the police to give to De Bruin.
“De Bruin went to the house of the complainant to give him the docket in exchange for money.
“He was arrested after he handed the docket to the complainant and found in possession of entrapment money.
“The police went to search his house and they found a receipt from a pawn shop.
“They approached the pawn shop owner who informed them that De Bruin had pawned the SAPS laptop,” added the statement.
De Bruin then approached senior prosecutor Advocate Edwin Munyai before he pleaded guilty, asking for a suspended sentence in return for a guilty plea but Munyai refused to enter into such an agreement and requested the prosecutor to proceed with the matter.
De Bruin eventually pleaded guilty and left the sentencing to the court.
“Despite pleading guilty state prosecutor Moeketsi Machogo requested the court to impose harsh punishment on De Bruin because he only pleaded guilty because he was aware that the state had overwhelming evidence against him and he also tarnished the image of the South African Police Service,” according to the statement.
De Bruin will effectively serve 15 years’ imprisonment after Magistrate Gusha ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
1 Comment
Wow some police are the real crooks.