Cape Town - A Mpumalanga man has been arrested for allegedly deliberately fabricating a hijacking case he registered on Sunday, January 30.
According to police reports, the man reported being hijacked the day before. He allegedly claimed that he was travelling with three of his friends when a man and two women hijacked his Toyota Yaris in Mhluzi.
Following his complaint, police at Mhluzi then mobilised their resources to track down the alleged culprits. However, they say as they investigated the case further, they discovered that the man’s story “lacked consistency”, which then raised suspicions with the investigators.
Police discovered that the hijacking did not take place that day and that the man had allegedly run over a pedestrian, which led to community members confiscating his car keys.
“Police at Mhluzi explained to him about this discrepancy and that his actions amount to a criminal offence, hence his arrest and a charge of perjury laid against him.
“The suspect appeared at the Middleburg Magistrate's Court on Monday, January 31, 2022 and the matter, however, was struck off from the court roll due to outstanding information required. However, the investigation continues,” Mpumalanga police said.
The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, has condemned the reporting of false cases and said that these cases have a terrible impact in the fight against crime as critical resources are misdirected and wasted.
IOL