FOUR Hluhluwe police officers appeared in Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of kidnapping, robbery, defeating the ends of justice and corruption.
Two of the accused were arrested on Thursday at the police station by Richards Bay Hawks and Serious Organised Crime Unit officers, and two handed themselves over on Friday morning.
They stand accused of robbing a 38-year-old Hluhluwe woman of her counterfeit footwear worth more than R200 000.
It is alleged that on Wednesday, 16 October, the victim had hired a minibus taxi to transport 27 boxes of counterfeit
goods. The taxi was flagged down by the police officers at Mnqobokazi in Hluhluwe.
They allegedly handcuffed the taxi driver before throwing him in the back of the police bakkie.
According to reports, two officers drove the taxi back to Mnqobokazi, while the other two officers drove towards the
Mbazwana Game Reserve with their victims in the police van. At a secluded spot they robbed the victims of their valuables and an undisclosed amount of cash.
The woman and taxi driver were later dropped off at the Mkhuze turn-off where the taxi was stationed, minus the
goods.
The accused were all remanded in police custody and are expected to appear in the same court on Friday for formal bail applications.’
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