Cop arrested for plotting armed robbery on his own police station
A 30-year-old police constable in Gauteng has been arrested for allegedly conspiring with armed suspects to rob his own police station of its firearms which led to an attack in which an on-duty police officer was shot eight times.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) arrested Mpho Matsoso on Tuesday for his role in the attack on the Dunnottar police station just outside Springs which left Warrant Officer Aaron Vusi Mahlangu hospitaled for over two months.
Matsoso, who was stationed at the Dunnottar police station, appeared in the Nigel Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning when he was remanded until 5 November when he is scheduled to make a formal bid for bail.
Hawks spoksperson Lieutenant Robert Netshiunda said the Dunnottar police station was attacked on the night of 8 June this year during which Mahlangu was shot eight times.
Netshiunda said that initially the motive of the attack was unknown but it had since emerged that aim of the suspects was to get access to the station safe and steal firearms.
He said: “A month later, three suspects, Mduduzi Jali (49), Prince Mnisi-Thobe Zondozi (38) and John Molefe (45), also known as London, were arrested in Kwa-Thema.
“With the suspects confessing that they were assured by the arrested constable that only one female Sergeant would be working at the Community Service Centre, and that he would be on duty but patrolling outside, the suspects stormed the station and were puzzled to find Warrant Officer Mahlangu and another constable behind the CSC desk.
“The suspects started shooting, injuring Warrant Officer Mahlangu while the other member escaped unharmed.
The brave Warrant Officer Mahlangu shot back until the suspects fled. The arrested constable fooled everyone by rushing back to the station and opened the case docket. The suspects confessed that they had planned to use the firearms to commit armed robbery in Mpumalanga.”
Netshiunda said retrieved telephone conversations have linked the constable with the three suspects.
“They were also communicating on the night of the attack. Jali and Molefe are still behind bars while Zondozi has been released on R10,000. All of them will be back before the Nigel Magistrate’s Court on 13 November 2015.”