The Kuruman Regional Court has sentenced former police constable Johannes Shuping (44) to six years of direct imprisonment on two counts of corruption.
Shuping was arrested in May 2018 following an intelligence-driven investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigating team. At the time of the offence, he was a police officer investigating a hijacking and robbery case.
The complainant in the matter, who was also an accused in the hijacking and robbery case, had been arrested in Jan Kempdorp for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and later released on bail. Shuping, acting as the investigating officer, then demanded R11,000 from the complainant in exchange for making the case docket “disappear.” The complainant paid R6,000, after which Shuping demanded the remaining amount.
The victim subsequently reported the extortion to his lawyer, who referred the matter to the Hawks. A disruptive operation was conducted, during which the accused received a further R4,000 and was immediately arrested.
After a lengthy trial, Shuping was found guilty on both counts of corruption. The court sentenced him to six years’ direct imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. Additionally, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
