Cape Town – A North West police officer, Johannes Shuping (44), has been sentenced to six years in prison for corruption.
He was convicted on Friday in the Kuruman Regional Court after a Hawks-led investigation revealed he solicited a bribe while handling a hijacking and robbery case, IOL reported.
Shuping, the investigating officer, demanded R11,000 from a suspect in exchange for making the case docket “disappear”.
“The charges relate to a 2018 incident in which Shuping, then a detective at Kathu police station, rearrested the complainant, Buti Moepadira, despite the case already being before the court,” Times Live quoted National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane as saying.
Following his arrest, Shuping proposed to have the docket “disappear” if he was paid R11,000.
The suspect paid R6,000, then reported the incident through his lawyer, leading to a sting operation where Shuping was arrested accepting the remaining R4,000.
“Moepadira, who was detained at Kathu police station due to a lack of accommodation in Kuruman, was allowed by Shuping to use his cellphone to arrange the payment. A R6,000 cash payment was delivered to the accused by the complainant’s brother.”
Shuping was found guilty on two counts of corruption and has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
