A KwaZulu-Natal police sergeant accused of extorting money from a member of the public has been released on R2 500 bail following his arrest in an undercover operation led by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
Sergeant Marcel Dorasamy, attached to the Berea SAPS detectives branch, was apprehended in Phoenix on Tuesday after a complainant reported that he had allegedly demanded R4 000 to prevent her son’s arrest. According to IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping, the woman further claimed that Dorasamy later requested an additional R5 000 to ensure the case docket was closed.
Suping says the complainant told the sergeant she could only pay R2 500 immediately, with the balance to follow the next month. She then lodged a formal complaint with IPID, which secured approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions to conduct a sting operation.
Dorasamy was arrested when he arrived at the agreed location to collect the cash.
He appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, where the matter was postponed to 11 February.