NATIONAL NEWS - A former South African Police Service (Saps) constable, already in custody on separate stock theft charges, is facing additional charges of fraud and theft for allegedly using police fleet card funds for personal transactions.
Bafo Siyabonga Cindi, 35, was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, following an investigation into the alleged misuse of a Saps FNB fleet card while he was employed as a police investigator.
According to the Hawks, the investigation began in 2024 after the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Standerton, Mpumalanga, reported the matter.
Cindi was attached to the unit as an investigating officer at the time and allegedly used the fleet card for personal transactions amounting to approximately R8 000.
The Hawks’ Secunda Serious Corruption Investigation team investigated the allegations and submitted the case docket to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). An arrest warrant was subsequently authorised.
Hawks members executed the warrant on Thursday, 22 October, at Ermelo Correctional Centre, where Cindi is being held pending trial in separate stock theft cases registered in Perdekop and Greylingstad. He was previously denied bail in those matters.
Cindi was dismissed from the Saps in May 2026.
He appeared in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 22 October, on the additional charges of fraud and theft. The case was postponed to 5 November to allow him to secure legal representation.
Brigadier Bruce Davenport, acting provincial head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, said the arrest demonstrated the organisation’s commitment to accountability within law enforcement and the public sector.
“No uniform, badge or rank places anyone above the law. Those who abuse their authority and misuse state resources for personal enrichment will face the full might of the law,” Davenport said in a statement on Friday.
He added that the Hawks in Mpumalanga remained committed to protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system and restoring public confidence through action against corruption. - SAnews.gov.za
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