Thabong police officer arrested for extorting money from innocent man released on bail

A police constable who was arrested on Wednesday, August 17 for accusing an innocent man of rape and afterwards demanding money from the victim has been granted R1 000 bail in the Welkom Magistrate Court.

Mosimanegape Samuel Seleke, 35, an officer stationed at the Thabong Visible Policing Unit, was arrested by the provincial Anti-Corruption Unit for the alleged false rape and extortion charges on August 16.

According to Lejweleputswa district police spokesperson, captain Stephen Thakeng, the man was threatened with arrest, and that the sentence for rape would be 25 years if he did not pay R100 000.

“The victim was then forced to the bank, where money was transferred to the given bank account,” Thakeng said.

“When the matter was reported to the police, a case of extortion was registered and assigned to the provincial Anti-Corruption Unit,” added Thakeng.

Seleke is set to appear again before the Welkom Magistrate Court on August 31.

According to Thakeng, it is believed that the syndicate of threatening men with false accusation of rape is taking rife in the district of Lejweleputswa.

He says that in Meloding, Virginia a female cop and a 29-year-old woman were arrested earlier this year when they were caught using the same modus operandi. 

Thakeng reveals that the alleged woman, who was working with the female police officer, accused her boyfriend of rape, and the police officer was then called to the scene, where she allegedly demanded R15 000 in bid for the rape charges to put the matter to bed.

He said earlier this year, the 29-year-old girlfriend visited her boyfriend’s house and demanded R4 000.

“She said he spends his money on his spouse in Mozambique and she wanted to end the relationship because she was not given money,” said Thakeng.

After she left to an unknown destination, Thakeng said her boyfriend received a call from the female officer, who, at the time, was based in Meloding, informing him that his girlfriend was registering a rape case.

“The girlfriend called to inform him that the police officer was demanding R15 000 to drop the case. The Anti-Corruption Unit was tipped and an organised trap was initiated which led to the arrest of two women,” informed Thakeng.

It is reported that the police then confiscated R15 000 in the constable’s office and both the female cop and the girlfriend of the victim were charged with extortion.

The female offer was then expelled from the police force.