Sleuth claims R1m after being ‘abandoned’
An undercover agent who was arrested and detained for 24 days, is claiming more than R1 million from the SAPS.
|||Pretoria - An undercover agent, who had to infiltrate a credit card fraud scheme to gather information, but got arrested and was detained for 24 days, is claiming more than R1 million from the SAPS.
The case was on Wednesday removed from the roll as it was not ready to proceed. It will be brought before court at a date still to be arranged.
Jolanda Koekemoer said the police “abandoned” her while she was in custody.
Koekemoer, who lives in Pretoria, also instituted a claim against the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) as she was tried for fraud but acquitted on all charges. She claimed the police knew she was an undercover agent, yet they did not assist her when she was arrested.
According to her, the NDPP also knew she worked with the police, but proceeded with criminal charges against her.
Koekemoer said in papers before the high court in Pretoria that the police asked her in August 2010 to work undercover.
She was instructed to infiltrate a scheme which traded in the purchase and sale of a variety of credit cards.
Her duties included buying stolen cards and using them to buy items. This was to establish the identities of the people involved and gather details of the scheme.
Koekemoer said the police, and especially her handler, had a duty to give her instructions at all times and to ensure she was released if she was arrested.
She was arrested in February 2011 while following up instructions she received from her handler, Koekemoer said.
She immediately contacted her handler but help never arrived and she was left in the cell for 24 days.
She was subsequently prosecuted for fraud in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court before she was acquitted.
Koekemoer said apart from being deprived of her liberty, she also incurred legal expenses.
She complained bitterly that her minor child was left unattended while she was kept in a cell.
According to Koekemoer, she still experienced psychological problems as a result of her detention.
She said the prosecutor was given “confidential information” regarding her being an undercover agent, but the fraud case against her went ahead.
The police said in terms of their agreement, Koekemoer was to report to her handler regarding the methods used to commit credit card fraud, but she was never allowed to commit the fraud herself.
The SAPS said one of the terms of the agreement was that if she ever committed a crime, she would not be exempted from prosecution.
Pretoria News