A former Western Cape prosecutor has recently been jailed after stealing two police files.
Jonas Phosoko was sentenced in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court to five years in prison on Friday for charges of theft of a file as well as an attempt to enforce the law.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that Phosoko was sentenced to three years in prison for theft and another two years for attempted law enforcement.
These charges stem from events that occurred in 2010 and 2011.
According to Ntabazalila, a suspect was arrested in Bellville in June 2010 after being caught in possession of nearly 30 kg of marijuana. Phosoko removed the case file from a colleague’s office.
“The prosecutor in the case found out that the dossier was missing and asked Phosoka about it. However, Phosoko denied that he had taken the dossier and subsequently conveniently turned up in another courtroom, ”Ntabazalila said.
According to Ntabazalila, the then senior public prosecutor pulsed the suspect over the missing file after which it was revealed that he and Phosoko were in contact with each other.
In a similar incident, a motorist was arrested in January 2011 after driving drunk. The suspect was released on bail and warned to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court later.
According to Ntabazalila, the investigating officer in the case sent the file to court and never received it.
