The 44-year-old opened a case of car hijacking at the Kimberley Police Station, alleging that his vehicle had been taken by four armed men. Northern Cape police spokesperson WO Molefi Shemane said the case docket was assigned to WO Anthony Rheeder of the Kimberley Crime Investigation Unit for further investigation.

The investigation established that the vehicle had reportedly been repossessed by the sheriff of the court after the suspect failed to meet his monthly financial obligations to the bank. He was arrested on Wednesday.

“Further investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly failed to cooperate with the sheriff’s office and subsequently reported the false hijacking to the police.”

Police cautioned members of the public that deliberately opening a false criminal case is a serious offence. “Such incidents unnecessarily consume valuable police and judicial resources, diverting investigators, personnel and funding away from genuine cases requiring urgent attention.”

The case comes as police continue to deal with false hijacking reports. In a similar case in Kakamas in the Northern Cape, a man was convicted of perjury after allegedly fabricating a hijacking in an attempt to support a fraudulent insurance claim.

Police urged the public to refrain from abusing the criminal justice system by reporting false cases. “Every false report not only wastes public resources, but also takes investigators away from active investigations and may compromise the effective administration of justice.”

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