National
Former cop suspected of smuggling drugs to prisoners to appear─── 05:22 Thu, 14 Aug 2014
Cape Town - A former police official suspected of smuggling drugs to prisoners at Cape Town Central Police Station is expected to appear in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday.
Former sergeant Cornelius Wessels, of the Cape Town Central police station, was arrested in a police undercover operation, based on information that police officials at Cape Town Central were involved in corruptly smuggling drugs to prisoners in the cells.
Former sergeant Cornelius Wessels, of the Cape Town Central police station, was arrested in a police undercover operation, based on information that police officials at Cape Town Central were involved in corruptly smuggling drugs to prisoners in the cells.
Wessels has pleaded not guilty before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime court to charges of corruption and dealing in or possession of dagga.
The court has heard that an undercover agent posed as an arrested person, and was locked in a cell.
While in the cell, Wessels had brought him a food parcel, supposedly sent by a friend.
The agent was aware that the parcel contained small bags of dagga, and had deliberately opened the parcel in Wessels's presence, and in such a way that Wessels would see the dagga.
The agent's instructions were to phone a police captain the moment Wessels left the cell, if Wessels, after seeing the dagga, had allowed the prisoner to keep the parcel.
The agent did so, and minutes later Wessels returned to the cell with others involved in the operation.
The parcel was again opened in Wessels' presence, with the dagga exposed, and Wessels was found in possession of a R100 note.
Wessels told the court that prisoners in police cells were not allowed food from friends or family, and were fed from food from the police canteen.
He told the court: "I took pity on the man in the cell, and took the parcel to him."
He was not aware that dagga was hidden in the parcel, he said.
Sapa
