Businessman assaulted at his home and robbed by group police officers

A Johannesburg entrepreneur claims he was kidnapped by a group of police officers who drove blue light vehicles into his house Bryanston and demanded R300,000 to make a file go away.

Sipho Phangwa owns a liquor store, a recording studio and a student apartment in parts of Auckland Park and Sophiatown says he was followed by two vehicles after he closed his liquor shop in Auckland Park last week. The cars were an unmarked BMW and a VW Golf with Gauteng traffic police markings.

Ten people have been arrested for the attacking the businessman at his home. 

The group, which included crime intelligence officers, Gauteng traffic police and JMP  officers, appeared in the Randburg magistrate's court on charges of kidnapping, robbery, extortion, assault and impersonating police. 

The 39-year-old businessman said about eight occupants from the vehicles that followed him were in brown provincial police uniforms and when they parked outside his gate they told him that they were investigating a murder case opened against him. The men then demanded to search his house.

“When we got inside the house they asked me where do I keep my safe. They then demanded R300,000. They were so brazen. Once we got inside the house I immediately realised that these men were not investigating anything against me but they came to my house to rob me,” said Phangwa.

A police source close to the investigation said the men demanded money to “make a file go away”. However Phangwa told Sowetan that he did not have any pending criminal cases against him. 

The businessman said he told his robbers that he doesn't keep large sums of money in his house and could not provide the R300,000 they wanted. 

“That's when they started to assault me in front of my wife and child,” said Phangwa.

He said the men punched him, hit him with the back of a gun on his right ear and used pepper spray on him.

“My entire house was turned upside down as they searched for the safe. I kept telling them that I don't keep money in the house but they were persistent,” he said.

The businessman also claims that the pepper spray was also used on his wife and one-year-old child. 

The suspects later forced Phangwa into their marked vehicle and drove with him to Gandhi Square in the Joburg CBD to withdraw cash from an ATM. His wife's cellphone was taken from her and she was locked with the child in the house while their robbers drove with Phangwa.

“My daily limit is R15,000 and that's what I could give them on the day. They also took our cellphones and laptops,” he said. He said he was dropped off at his house.

He said he managed to memorise one the vehicles' number plate as they sped off.

The matter was then reported to the Randburg police and followed up information led to the arrest of four men. Six more suspects handed themselves over to the police later.

They appeared at the Randburg Magistrates Court on charges of kidnapping, robbery, extortion, assault and impersonating police. 

Gauteng traffic police spokesperson Sello Maremane confirmed the arrests.

“Three of the arrested people are our members. At this stage I can't confirm their ranks and I can't tell if the vehicles used in this incident belong to our unit. The details on this matter are still sketchy. Gauteng MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko will issue a statement on this matter on Tuesday [today],” said Maremane.

The JMPD is also aware of this matter and that one of the suspects is their member.

“We are aware of this matter and we have initiated internal investigations against this officer for bringing the department into distribute, assault and extortion.

“The matter is in the court we can't comment further on it but it is receiving the necessary attention it deserves from our internal investigations unit,” said JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla.

Jennifer Ntlatseng, head of  the police watchdog Independent Police Investigative Directorate, said she needed more time to confirm the incident and had not responded by last night.