Hawks seek assistance in identifying wanted suspects for conspiracy to kidnap and murder POPCRU members

PRETORIA – The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation is asking for help in locating two suspects wanted for alleged conspiracy to kidnap and murder prominent Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), senior officials.

The DPCI has secured warrants of arrest from the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court for Popcru’s Chief Executive Officer, Zwelinkosi Reuben Mdletshe and Robert Sheriff. Their pursuit comes in the wake of an apparent elaborate plot to kidnap and murder current serving members within the leadership of Popcru.

The investigation commenced in September this year and so far it has revealed there was apparent misappropriation of funds that were carried out through Popcru Investment Group of Companies (PIGC). These substantial transactions were allegedly embezzled since 2016.

A Lesotho national, Neo Letele (34), was arrested in Kempton Park on the 6th November 2019. Letele is apparently the middleman who was instructed by Mdletshe and Sheriff to source the assassin who was to be paid R1 million to execute the hit. This was in an attempt to silence those who wanted the two suspects to account for the funds.

Letele made his first court appearance at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on 07 November 2019 and a follow-up on 13 November 2019, wherein the case was postponed to the 20 November 2019 for a formal bail application whilst investigation continue.

The Hawks would like to urge members of the public who may have knowledge of Mdletshe and Sheriff’s whereabouts to contact Sergeant Steve Ndabambi on 0825594613 or Captain Naborth Mavuso on 0824619486.