That opening a false case can land one behind bars is the
hard lesson a 25-year-old woman learnt after opening a false case of armed
robbery at Goodwood Police Station for investigation.
According to the complainant’s report, dated Saturday 28
August, she was at a shopping mall in Voortrekker Road, Goodwood the day
before, Friday the 27th, when approached by an unknown male. He
allegedly pointed a firearm at her and robbed her of R24 000 in
cash and her work laptop, valued at R25 000.
On Friday 30 August an interview was conducted with the
complainant by the Goodwood detectives. In the interview they followed up on
leads and clues, and became suspicious of the complainant’s account of the
facts. As the interview progressed the complainant owned up and told the truth,
admitting she had given a false statement concerning the events.
Police spokesperson Capt Frederick van Wyk said another
statement was taken from the complainant explaining the facts. After that, she
was arrested for perjury and defeating the ends of justice, and appeared in the
Goodwood Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 1 October.
In July, TygerBurger reported a similar crime that
occurred at Bellville Police Station, when a man was arrested for perjury after
falsely reporting a hijacking.
READ MORE: Man arrested for lying to Bellville police about hijacking
Col Shawn van Wyk, the acting station commander at Goodwood police, notes that their detectives occasionally catch individuals lying, often motivated by a desire for insurance payouts or to have employees replace goods that were supposedly “stolen,” which are typically sold instead. He adds that the 25-year-old will reappear in court on Tuesday, November 12.
“Western Cape police management warns those who commit crime
and try to conceal their actions by opening criminal cases,” Van Wyk said. “A
false report puts a lot of strain on police resources that could have been
directed at real incidents of crime and victims who really need police
assistance. The public is warned to refrain from reporting false cases, which
is a criminal offence, for they can face criminal charges.”
