City Press, citypress.co.za

Sandton, South Africa

A Sandton police constable has been arrested after crime scene reports and evidence were found hidden in his room.

A constable from the Local Criminal Records Centre in Sandton was arrested along with a civilian employee from the Linden Police Station, said Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale.

Makgale said the constable had been working as a crime scene expert and had attended crime scenes since January. However, he failed to register the results into the evidence register and process the reports.

“When it was time for those exhibits to be used as evidence in court he was unable to. This led a team of investigators from the national investigation unit to the constable’s room in the police barracks,” said Makgale.

“His room was searched and exhibits and crime scene reports, which were not processed and never entered into any of the relevant registers, were found there.”

The team also found two firearms which they later discovered were supposed to have been stored as exhibits at the police station.

The police could not give a proper explanation why he was in possession of the firearms. The investigation team also found several R1, R5 and 9mm bullets in his safe.

The two were arrested in September and have already appeared in court. Police only released the information today.

Makgale said the constable was out on bail and the civilian out on warning.

They were due to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court next Tuesday.

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