A KwaZulu-Natal detective has been arrested for allegedly accepting a R5,000 bribe to assist three inmates in escaping from police custody, following a lengthy investigation into a cell break that occurred two years ago.
Image: File
A KwaZulu-Natal police Detective Warrant Officer has been arrested for corruption after he allegedly accepted a R5,000 bribe to help three inmates escape from the KwaMsane police station holding cells.
The arrest was executed on Friday, 29 May 2026, by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Anti-Corruption officers on charges of aiding and abetting suspects to escape from lawful custody, defeating the ends of justice, and corruption.
According to the police, the arrest follows an investigation into a cell break that occurred over two years ago.
"On 27 February 2024, three suspects escaped from police holding cells at KwaMsane police station after they had cut steel burglar bars and roof iron sheet," the police said.
A breakthrough in the case came a month later when one of the escapees, Sibusiso Gumede, was rearrested at a roadblock in Vryheid.
Subsequent investigations into the breakout exposed that the official allegedly acted as an inside accomplice to the crime in exchange for a cash payoff.
"Police investigations revealed that Gumede and his two accomplices' escape was orchestrated by a Detective Warrant Officer who supplied them with a steel saw, allegedly after they paid him an amount of R5,000," the police confirmed.
Following the investigation, a warrant of arrest was issued by the court, and the police officer was duly arrested.
The officer remains in custody and is expected to make his first appearance in court tomorrow.
"He will appear before the KwaMsane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, on charges of aiding and abetting suspects, defeating the ends of justice, and corruption," the police concluded.
For more stories from The Mercury, click the link THE MERCURY