Bogus crime claim backfires

A 41-YEAR-OLD e-hailing driver has learnt that it does not pay to open bogus crime cases.

Mahomed Khan, charged with perjury and defeating the ends of justice, appeared in the Phoenix Magistrate’s Court on Monday after he registered a bogus case of hijacking.

Khan registered a case of hijacking on Sunday. The driver claimed that while transporting passengers from Hillhead Road in Phoenix last Friday night, he was robbed of his vehicle and held hostage at an unknown location.

He said he managed to escape his captors and went directly to the Phoenix police station.

The Phoenix crime team investigated the matter and found the alleged hijacked vehicle parked at the Isipingo police station. “On interviewing the complainant further, it was established that he parked the vehicle at Isipingo SAPS, threw the keys at the Alice Street railway station line and opened a false case,” said Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson.

“The suspect took police officers to Alice Street where the keys were recovered and then to Isipingo police station where the vehicle that he reported hijacked was recovered.

“The suspect was arrested and the vehicle impounded.”

Ngcobo warned the public to refrain from opening false cases.

She said the police have found that many people had attempted to do so in recent years.

The e-hailing driver was given an admission of guilt fine.

The motive for Khan laying the false charge is unknown.