My oh my - I wonder how I would react if something like this had happened to me. Knowing me, I would have insisted on the officers name and badge number - knowing me, I would have contacted the several friends that I have on the force and my friends at the newspaper too. Knowing me . . .
But not everyone knows someone on the police force and not everyone knows someone at the newspaper, so what then.
The general public is being more and more harassed on a daily basis, by scams of all kinds, whether it is the police force being dishonest, or banking scams or beggars on the side of the road. Yet it is those self same citizens who have to carry the cost when these things happen as well as keep up our payments to SARS.
When are we going to start getting value for money? We are being pushed into a 'press' of sorts and squeezed and squeezed some more, and just when we think that we cannot be squeezed for yet another thing - something comes along and squeezes again.
I hope that these scamming, dishonest cops are 'squeezed' just a little by the very same law that they are supposed to uphold!
Motorists cry foul after 'cop scam'
October 07 2006 at 11:19AM
By Fiona Gounden
More than 30 Durban motorists have laid charges after corrupt policemen allegedly took bribes from them after saying their cars had been illegally modified. The motorists, many of whom claim they were harassed and assaulted, are being represented by veteran Durban legal lobbyist Snowy Smith of Fair Civil Law, who says he has received death threats from police. "In the past few weeks I have received about 50 calls. Police have been taking money from motorists and telling them they will be in big trouble if they lodge a complaint because they have recorded their registration numbers.
'He wanted R800 and it would all be forgotten'
"I know that I'm treading on dangerous ground, but I believe that my clients have a strong case. Most of these vehicles were parked on private property and did not have illegal modifications," said Smith. The majority of the incidents have taken place in Phoenix, where SAPS members allegedly demanded R800 and threatened to remove licence discs from vehicles, which would force drivers to have them tested again for roadworthiness if they did not pay up.
Suvesh Haripersadh, 29, of Phoenix, said police wanted to take his VW Golf TDI off the road because of "illegal" modifications. "I was with my friends at a petrol station two weeks ago. A SAPS officer with a marked vehicle came towards me and looked at my car. All I had on the car were 17 inch mags and sports pedals. He did not even inspect the vehicle and said he was going to suspend my licence. The policeman then said he wanted R800 and it would all be forgotten. "I was a bit scared and I did not want to be inconvenienced so I paid the money, which the officer took and put in his pocket."
Krinesh Chetty, 31, had a similar experience. His Honda Civic was parked at the same petrol station. "Two police officers stopped me last Saturday and said I had illegal mags and exhaust system. They asked me for R800. I said I didn't have that kind of cash. One then told me he was going to remove my licence. The officer then removed my disc and said if I had given him the money I would have avoided this inconvenience." I discovered later that the licence had not been suspended. The Licensing Department notified me that when a licence is suspended, it has to be recorded on their system, but their records reveal the licence is still active."
A group of four Phoenix friends said that on Sunday they had been assaulted by police and had since laid charges of assault. Ricky Govender, 28, and his friends Basil Naidoo, 33, Deon Pillay, 19, and Rinesh Ramlall, 20, were seated in Govender's Corolla RSI when they claimed they were assaulted by police. "We were just sitting there outside my home and these policemen in a SAPS van came and stopped beside us. A policeman flung his door open and hit my car. The two officers were drunk and jumped out of the vehicle and demanded money."We said we had no money and they then started to punch us saying our car was illegally modified. They said they were going to take my licence disc away but I quickly locked the vehicle. All I have on my car is mags and a modified exhaust system. They then jumped into their vehicle and sped off," said Govender.
Smith is representing these people and others. "I have found that these policemen are threatening young men in their 20s and 30s. I am representing about 35 people who claim police have harassed, intimidated, wrongfully fined them or suspended their licences."
Smith has also received threats from policemen, but says he won't give up the fight. SAPS spokesperson Terry Murphy spoke out strongly against any officer who took bribes or intimidated motorists. Murphy reiterated that only members of his unit were allowed to remove discs and issue fines for illegal modifications."We belong to the police emergency services and not to a specific station. The officers in our unit have undergone specialised training courses and have obtained certificates."
Murphy warned corrupt officers to clean up their act.
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