Two cops arrested for corruption in George
The Hawks in the Western Cape have made another breakthrough in their efforts to root out corruption within law enforcement agencies.
On Tuesday morning, just a day after arresting a City of Cape Town law enforcement officer, the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team in George arrested two people - a former detective and a serving SAPS member.
The two people, aged 39 and 44, face corruption charges and are expected to appear in the George Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi said the former detective, who was stationed at the Thembalethu police station, recently resigned.
It's alleged that he told assault suspects to apologise to a complainant and pay R2 500 to ensure that the case against them disappears.
'It's alleged the money was paid to the detective to pass on to the complainant, but that never happened,' Vukubi said.
Vukubi added that the complaint laid charges against the detective's colleague over the investigation of her case.
'The detective allegedly intimidated and improperly persuaded the complainant to influence her testimony against his colleague, who is an ex-detective.'
Provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Mathipa Makgato, welcomed the arrests, reaffirming the unit's commitment to clean governance and accountability within the police's ranks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
California Sen. Alex Padilla handcuffed at Noem news conference in LA
LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration defended its handcuffing of Sen. Alex Padilla on Thursday, saying the Secret Service believed he was an attacker during a news conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Padilla of "disrespectful political theater" and said officers "acted appropriately" in a statement following the incident. Noem and Padilla met for 15 minutes after the press conference, she said. The forcible removal and handcuffing of the California senator just as he was identifying himself marked the latest escalation between the Trump administration and Democrats over immigration, with members of Padilla's party roundly denouncing the encounter. Video provided by Padilla's office shows the senator approaching the lectern as Noem was speaking. He was stopped and shoved back by multiple men. 'I'm Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,' he said. He tried to speak further as he was forcibly removed into an adjoining room, where he yelled 'Hands off!' The video shows Padilla being forced to the ground and his arms handcuffed behind his back. The outburst came as Noem was touting federal law enforcement's immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, highlighting individuals with violent criminal records who were caught in the raids. Earlier in the week, Noem had described Los Angeles as a 'city of criminals' while slamming the immigration protests. Speaking to the media not long after the confrontation, Padilla said he was in the federal building for a scheduled briefing when he decided to drop by Noem's news conference down the hall. He said he began to ask the secretary a question when he was 'forcibly removed' from the room, forced to the ground and handcuffed. 'If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question … you can only imagine what they're doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers,' Padilla said. 'We will hold this administration accountable.' In Washington, Democratic senators walked out of their final vote of the day visibly agitated by the video. 'As this event with Senator Padilla shows, the Republicans evidently embrace using fists,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told POLITICO. 'Violence is never the answer. … It's looking more and more like a fascist state out there every day.' 'It's very disturbing,' Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia told POLITICO. 'We need answers.' Sen. Adam Schiff of California said he was 'disgusted by what I saw,' adding that Padilla has 'every right to ask questions.' He said, 'Kristi Noem should never have been appointed to that office. She should resign from that office.' He called for an investigation into the conduct of the officers who detained Padilla. The confrontation earned a swift rebuke from other fellow Californians in Congress, who quickly gathered on the Capitol steps to protest Padilla's treatment. 'Forcibly removing a United States Senator from a press conference is disgraceful,' Rep. Pete Aguilar, the third-ranking Democrat in the House, said on X. 'This administration's chaos and corruption is out of control.' Gov. Gavin Newsom called the treatment of Padilla 'outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful' in a social media post shortly after the incident. 'Trump and his shock troops are out of control,' he wrote. Asked about the confrontation at the news conference, Noem said, 'I'll visit with the senator and find out, really, what his concerns are and what we can do.' Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina suggested Padilla got what he was looking for out of the exchange. 'He got what he wanted, he's on TV,' Graham said. He said, 'What he ought to be doing, in my view, is making sure that we have rational immigration policy. And Senator Padilla, who's a nice man, sat on the sidelines for four years, watched the border completely be blown apart. People come in by the millions, and it's created problems for our country.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he had seen video of the incident but wanted 'to get the facts and find out exactly what happened before we make any comments about it." At least one Republican senator, however, expressed astonishment about how Padilla was treated. "It's horrible,' said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. 'It is shocking at every level. It's not the America I know." Jordain Carney and Aaron Pellish contributed to this report.
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Associated Press
Louisiana is the latest Republican-led state expanding its role in immigration enforcement
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — As protests erupt across the country over aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, Louisiana lawmakers approved a package of legislation this week that'll aid the ongoing federal crackdown on deportation. Amid growing national tensions, Louisiana is the latest red state that expanded its immigration enforcement role — crafting a legislative promise to cooperate with federal agencies. Law enforcement agents and public officials could face jail time if they purposefully obstruct, delay or ignore federal immigration enforcement efforts, under one Louisiana bill. Another measure requires state agencies — including the departments of Health, Education, Corrections, Children & Family Services, and Motor Vehicles — to verify, track and report anyone illegally in the U.S. who is receiving state services. The bills head to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a tough-on-crime conservative and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, who is likely to sign them into law. Penalizing officials who obstruct immigration enforcem ent efforts Following Trump's pledge to remove millions of people who are in the country illegally, immigration raids have ramped up from coast to coast. Federal agencies have sought to enlist state and local help, alerting federal authorities of immigrants wanted for deportation and holding them until federal agents take custody. Louisiana's GOP-dominated Legislature passed a bill to ensure just that. The measure expands the crime of malfeasance in office, which is punishable with up to 10 years in jail. Essentially, it would make it a crime for a public official or employee to refuse to comply with requests from agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also prohibits public officials, including police and judges, from knowingly releasing a person who 'illegally entered or unlawfully remained' in the U.S. from their custody without providing advance notice to ICE. 'This is one of those bills that says it's against the law not to enforce the law,' said Republican state Sen. Jay Morris. Additionally, the bill expands the crime of obstruction of justice to include any act 'intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts,' including civil immigration proceedings. Tia Fields, an advocate for the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants, said she fears the measures will have a 'chilling effect' and could potentially criminalize 'ordinary acts of assistance or advice' by advocates, religious leaders, attorneys or organizations. Louisiana, which does not share a border with a foreign country, is one of several states attempting to penalize local officials who don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Most recently, under a new law in Tennessee, local officials who vote to adopt sanctuary policies could face up to six years in prison. Other states allow residents or the local attorney general to sue officials and state governments if they limit or refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts. But threats of repercussions have gone beyond the creation of legislation. Most recently, as the National Guard was deployed to protests in Los Angeles, Tom Homan, the Trump administration's ' border czar,' hinted that elected officials could face arrest if they interfere with agents on the ground. State agencies tasked with tracking immigrants Amid growing tensions over immigration enforcement, Louisiana has made national headlines for its role. Nearly 7,000 people are being held in the state's nine immigration detention centers. Among them is Mahmoud Khalil, a student and legal U.S. resident whom the Trump administration jailed over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University. With a spotlight on Louisiana, bills and policies targeting migrants suspected of entering the country illegally were pushed to the forefront by Landry and legislators. Ranging from banning sanctuary city policies to sending Louisiana National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border. One measure, passed this week, codifies an executive order of Landry. It requires state agencies to verify the citizenship of people attempting to receive or use state services and benefits. The agencies would collect and track such data, submitting an annual report to the governor, attorney general and Legislature, in addition to posting it publicly online. Any agency that does not comply risks having its funding withheld. Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez, who authored the legislation, said it was crafted so officials and residents know how much money and what 'services or benefits have been afforded' to immigrants who are in the country illegally. But another bill goes a step further — requiring state agencies to refer the applicant's information, 'including unsatisfactory immigration status,' to ICE. State Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat who opposed the bill, asked Miguez if the measure could result in families being separated. Miguez said that while that's 'a bit of a stretch,' ultimately it is up to federal authorities and what they do with the information.
News24
5 hours ago
- News24
Cape Town couple arrested on child porn charges to remain behind bars
A Bloubergstrand couple accused of sexually abusing and exploiting their two young daughters will remain behind bars. The couple briefly appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Thursday. The case was postponed to 23 June for a formal bail application and they will remain in custody until then. The pair were arrested following a joint operation involving the police, Department of Social Development, FBI, and US Homeland Security. They face allegations of sexually abusing their daughters, aged three and eight. They face charges that include the production of child sexual abuse material, rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming. According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, a multidisciplinary team - comprising members of the national and Western Cape Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation units and social development officials - arrested the 47-year-old woman and 48-year-old man in Bloubergstrand on Tuesday. The couple were located at a house identified through joint investigative efforts. During the operation, the two children were rescued and have since been placed in a place of safety. Several electronic devices were also seized.
