The commander of the North East Rand dog unit appeared in the Benoni Regional Court on Wednesday following his arrest on charges of corruption.
”He was arrested on charges of alleged corruption and defeating the ends of justice,” Superintendent Eugene Opperman said.
The commander had been brought in to head the unit after two of its members were convicted of assault in 2003 for setting their dogs on three illegal immigrants for ”training” purposes.
Superintendent Krishna Naidoo and his 29-year-old brother-in-law Keegan Ragavan allegedly approached a suspected drug dealer in Benoni on Tuesday February 8, telling him he was under surveillance.
”However, they allegedly also suggested that a payment of R50 000 to them could make the surveillance ‘disappear’,” Opperman said.
The man agreed and said he was prepared to pay the first instalment on Friday. He then informed the police of the development.
Police arrested Ragavan — who is not a police officer — when he allegedly received R7 500 from the man in Benoni.
He was released on bail of R2 000 and is due to appear again on March 12.
After his brother in law’s arrest, Naidoo handed himself over to Kempton Park detectives.
He appeared in the Benoni Regional Court on Wednesday and the case was postponed to March 1.
Opperman said the area commissioner will make a decision on suspension in terms of the Labour Relations Act.
Former East Rand police dog handlers Nicolaas Kenneth Loubser and Dino Guiotto were found guilty on three counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and attempting to defeat the ends of justice following an attack on three illegal immigrants they had arrested.
The matter sparked international outrage when it became public after the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s Special Assignment was handed a video of the assaults. — Sapa