KEY POINTS
- Ex-officer fined R15,000 ($812) for tampering with mining evidence.
- State alleges that his actions compromised an active investigation.
- The court suspends part of the sentence under strict conditions.
A retired warrant officer from Mpumalanga has been fined R15,000 ($812) or faces three years in prison for tampering with evidence related to an illegal mining case.
Samuel Bassie Mahlangu, 61, appeared before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where he was found guilty of defeating the ends of justice.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala stated that officials served Mahlangu with a summons on May 14, 2024. The Middelburg-based serious corruption unit issued it after completing an investigation.
The case stemmed from an August 2023 operation conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and National Crime Intelligence (NCI) targeting illegal mining activities.
Officials seized gold-bearing material and booked it into the South African Police Service (SAPS) exhibit register at the Delmas police station.
Mahlangu handled the evidence but disposed of it the next day. Moreover, he claimed he was unaware of its significance.
State investigation reveals evidence dumping
A National Crime Intelligence officer returned to the Delmas police station the next day. He intended to collect the evidence after it had been booked.
However, Mahlangu admitted to discarding the seized materials, explaining that he did not realize they were official exhibits.
“He showed the officers where he had thrown the evidence, in a bin behind the police station,” said Tshabalala.
Further investigation revealed that Mahlangu had neglected to record the evidence disposal in the official occurrence book. His actions violated standard police procedures.
According to IOL, the prosecution argued that Mahlangu’s actions compromised a critical investigation, and his failure to follow protocol justified legal consequences.
Court ruling and sentencing details
The court found Mahlangu guilty of defeating the ends of justice. It sentenced him to three years in prison, with the option of a R15,000 ($812) fine.
Additionally, the court suspended one year of his sentence or R5,000 ($270) for five years. This suspension depends on him not committing a similar offense within that period.
According to Tshabalala, this ruling warns law enforcement officials about the need to preserve evidence. He emphasized the importance of following legal procedures in criminal cases.
