A 25-year-old woman appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s court on charges of perjury and defeating the course of justice after she allegedly made a false police report about an armed robbery.
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said according to the complainant’s report at Goodwood SAPS on Saturday, she was at a shopping mall in Voortrekker Road, Goodwood, the day before when she was approached by an unknown man.
“He allegedly pointed a firearm at her and stole R24000 cash and her work laptop, valued at R25000,” Van Wyk said.
On Monday, Goodwood police interviewed the complainant.
“During the interview they followed up on leads and clues and got suspicious of the complainant’s account of the facts. As the interview progressed the complainant came up with the truth and admitted that she gave a false statement regarding the events,” Van Wyk said.
“Another statement was taken from the complainant explaining the true facts. Thereafter she was arrested for perjury and defeating the course of justice. She was arrested and appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court yesterday.”
“A false report puts a lot of strain on police resources which could have been directed to real incidents of crime and to victims who need police assistance. The public is warned to refrain from reporting false cases as a criminal offence and they can face criminal charges,” Van Wyk said.
Meanwhile, in police efforts to remove firearms from the streets, three suspects were arrested on Tuesday morning for the possession of unlicensed firearms, prohibited firearms and ammunition.
This after information was received that illegal firearms and ammunition were being kept at a premises in Bellatrix Street, Hopland, Saldanha, police spokesperson Anelisiwe Manyana said.
With the assistance of West Coast District K9 unit, a 35-year-old man with a lengthy criminal record and a 25-year-old woman were apprehended in a caravan that was parked behind a house at the address.
“The firearms, a shotgun and 9mm pistol with its serial number removed and ammunition were hidden underneath the bed in the caravan,” Manyana said.
In an unrelated incident, Public Order Police members received information about a firearm being stored in Lamoenshoek Street, Mitchells Plain.
“The members swiftly responded to the identified address where upon arrival they knocked at the gate and the suspect ran away when he saw that it was police. The members gave chase and caught him with a black pistol without a serial number and rounds of 9mm ammunition,” Manyana said.
The suspects are expected in the Vredendal and Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Courts.
Cape Times