Suspected criminals at the Saselemana police station, near the Kruger National Park, are allegedly enjoying themselves by committing crimes inside the holding cells, using dangerous weapons like butcher knives. The criminals are also allegedly calling friends on the outside and giving them instructions on where they must go to commit crimes.

According to Michael Maemu, this is happening with the help of corrupt police officers who also supply the suspects with cell phones. The corrupt officers allegedly also help the criminals to charge the batteries of their cell phones.

Maemu (38), who shared a cell with the same criminals from February 20 until March 4, says he was robbed of his FNB ATM card by the same criminals. A police officer was given the card and withdrew R1 300 in cash from the ATM machines found near the Nkuna com-plex, he said.

Maemu was arrested by the Masisi police on February 19, together with three other people, including a police officer, for the smuggling of cigarettes from Zimbabwe. The four only spent one night at Masisi police station before they were sent to different police stations. Maemu was sent to Saselemana.

On his arrival, Maemu says his ATM card was forcibly taken from him by three inmates. “These guys threatened me with a big butcher’s knife and in-structed me to take off my clothes before they took my bank card. They also demanded my pin code, which I gave them in fear of my life,” says Maemu.

“On February 23, the three inmates took the SIM card of my cell phone and called their friends from outside and gave them instructions to go and commit crimes in the community, so that they can get money for their bail. They then gave me the phone and instructed me to call my relatives and tell them to bring nice food when they come to visit, so that they can take the food. That was when I realized through a text message on the phone that R300 and R200 had been withdrawn from my account. I then dis-covered that the same police officers who were helping the inmates to charge their phones, were the ones who had been sent to withdraw my money,” he said.

“On March 2 I asked a female police officer, whom I only came to know as Captain Kubaye, to help me open a case against the suspects and to call the bank for the cancellation of my card, but she slammed the door in my face,” says Maemu.

Maemu says he managed to storm out of the cells in protest against the poor treatment when the same officer came to the cells later. “I again asked Kubaye to help me call the bank, so that they can cancel my card, but she refused. She then locked me in another cell and left. The following morning a group of police officers came and searched our cell. I explained what happened to me, but they said they would attend to me later. At around 16:00, an officer called Khoza came and helped me to call the bank, when I cancelled my card,” says Maemu.

Maemu says he asked to open a case against the inmates, but Khoza said it was not going to be possible if the station commissioner was not available. “The station commissioner, Chabalala, came to me the following morning (March 4), together with Khoza and I explained my problem again,” he says.

Apparently, a case could not be opened on the spot, because police from Masisi police station took him away so that he could appear before the magistrate for a bail application.

Maemu, who was released on R10 000 bail, together with his co-accused, on March 5, managed to open a case at the same station, Saselemana, after the Independent Complaints Directorate office from Sibasa gave him a letter that he presented to the station on Monday, March 9.

Maemu also established that another R800 was withdrawn from his account on March 3 at the same place where R200 was withdrawn on February 23. Maemu says he also received a call from a male person who told him that he wanted to speak to his friends in the cells.

The ICD office has given instructions that the station should make sure a case was opened and they must furnish the ICD with the case number and supply regular updates.

A case was subsequently opened by GT Nkuna, after some hours of deliberations between the acting station commissioner, Captain Kubaye and her juniors.

When approached for comment, Insp Gezani Mathimbi, spokesperson for the station, confirmed that a case was opened and that the three suspects, Freddy Shikundu (40, Alfred Machebele (34) and Khumbulani Mghubel (22) will appear in court on March 30.