Police Minister, General Bheki Cele has welcomed the arrest of three suspects charged with attempted murder, extortion, kidnapping and intimidation.
Nafiz Madock, Ricardo Morgan and Jacques Cronje appeared at the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Monday 3 May 2021. As investigations into the activities of the criminal underworld continue, the possibility of the trio being linked to other serious and violent crimes is eminent.
On Monday, 3 May 2021, Minister Cele attended the suspect’s first court appearance.
Addressing the media contingent gathered outside court, Cele expressed his confidence police tightening the net on organised crime.
“These arrests are only the beginning of police efforts to take down organised crime in the province. Clamping down such criminal syndicates remains an ongoing exercise and such arrests show that police are up to the task. It is pleasing to see the progress made by the task team that has been roped in from national, to crack this case and other cases linked to organised crime. With the extra resources that have been pumped into fighting crime in this province, I am sure that one day we will normalise this province-; one step at a time.”
Minister Cele has also responded to the arrest of a police officer accused of leaking information to criminals operating in the province.
A 39 year old member attached to the Tactical Response Team (TRT) of the Anti Gang Unit (AGU) was arrested over the weekend, on suspicion of proliferation of information to criminals.
It is alleged that the officer was leaking information relating to operations, in return for gratification.
The Sergeant was arrested through an intelligence driven operation conducted by the National Task Team. He will be charged with corruption together with three accomplices.
Minister Cele has responded to this arrest, by reaffirming the stance of the SAPS against corruption.
“Being a police officer is an honourable job but if you choose to side with criminals then you are no longer one of us. It was his choice for this member to work with the underworld against his own colleagues and if found guilty, he must live with the consequences of his alleged criminal acts.” – Cele concluded.
While in the Western Cape, Minister Cele alongside acting Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Major General Patekile visited Sergeant Clint Skippers.
The officer was shot during a foiled Cash-in-transit (CIT) heist, in Kayamandi in Stellenbosch.
The Minister wished him a speedy recovery, thanking him and his team for their bravery when confronting the criminals head-on and thwarting the robbery.
