Informant sues SAPS for backfired tip-off

A former police informer is suing the South African Police Services after his ratting to the police about a house robbery backfired.

Pretoria - A Benoni man’s days as a police informer are over and he now lives as a recluse in fear of his life after his squealing to the police about a house robbery, backfired.

Petrus Dlhono’s tip-off to the police resulted in the suspects’ arrests, but one of the suspects said he had supplied the getaway car, so he was also nabbed.

The police apparently did not want the suspects to know the identity of their informant, so they arrested Dlhono as well. He was made “empty promises” that the SAPS would soon release him, but he was “forgotten” behind bars for 95 days, the high court in Pretoria was told.

Dlhono, who is now unemployed, instituted a damages claim for more than R1.5 million against the police. The SAPS at first denied he was an informant, but later agreed to settle the matter. Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba ordered the police pay him R150 000 in damages by the end of this week.

Dlhono was only released from prison and charges of house breaking and attempted murder were withdrawn against him when his lawyer intervened and explained the situation to the prosecution.

Dlhono said he worked as a police informer for a few months and often gave the SAPS tip-offs in return for rewards.

Dlhono said he informed the police on December 3, 2012, that a housebreaking was to take place in Mackenzie Park in Benoni. He later sent a text message to say there was a change in plans and that the robbery was now due to take place in the suburb of New Modder.

Police responded to the message and saw an armed suspect in possession of 13 rounds of live ammunition. It emerged that the owner of the house where the robbers broke in, was shot when he confronted three men. A second suspect was pointed out and he told police that they obtained the getaway car from Dlhono.

He was subsequently arrested. All three policemen who were on patrol that day, confirmed to the lower trial court that an informant had provided them with up to date information about a pending house robbery. They, however, did not identify their informer.

Dlhono’s lawyer said this was possibly not to identify their informer. Dlhono said he could not understand why he was not freed after his arrest, as he kept on telling the police he was the informant who tipped them off. Police even opposed his bail. This, while there was not a shred of evidence that he was at the victim’s house. Dlhono said had it not been for his call to the SAPS, they would not have caught the culprits.

Pretoria News