/ 23 August 2007

Limpopo police officers arrested over petrol scam

Three police officers and 12 petrol attendants were arrested for fraud in Namakgale on Wednesday, Limpopo police said.

Superintendent Mohale Ramatseba said two constables and a sergeant had allegedly connived with petrol attendants at a filling station in Namakgale to defraud the police of money amounting to R100 000.

”Every time a police van refuels at the filling station, petrol attendants will fill close to five cars before attending to the police van,” he said.

The attendants took cash from the motorists but did not stop the pump readings and then filled the police van’s tank, resulting in the police administration paying on account for the other cars’ petrol. The police and the petrol attendants then shared the cash the motorists had paid.

Ramatseba said the manager of the filling station noticed the irregularity and alerted the police. The scam had been going since January this year.

”The organised crime unit investigated the matter and three policemen and 12 attendants were nabbed on Wednesday.”

They will appear in the Namakgale Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud, Ramatseba said. — Sapa