News24 reports that three specialist Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers who allegedly kidnapped a supermarket employee and demanded a bribe for his release, have been charged with kidnapping, theft, extortion and defeating the ends of justice.

It is alleged that the officers released the man after he had paid them and then lied in their statements. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) arrested the Boksburg truck hijackings specialised unit officers on Friday. IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping reported the three officers conducted a search operation at Smokes and Kings Supermarket in Rynfield, Benoni, in July last year and that boxes of cigarettes worth R25,000 were seized. While confiscating the cigarettes, the officers allegedly disconnected the surveillance camera inside the shop. The cigarettes were loaded onto an EMPD van and the supermarket employee was put in a separate official vehicle. The officers then drove to Northmead with the supermarket employee under the pretext that he was under arrest. Allegedly, they then demanded money and a cellphone for his release. The man handed over R200 notes he had in his possession and he was then dropped off. The officers allegedly booked in only two boxes of cigarettes at the Benoni police station. Their statements indicated that the goods were found at the property of an unknown owner and that a suspect ran away when he saw them.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24

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