Pretoria SCCU Prosecutor and Police Officers Granted Bail in High-Profile Extortion and Corruption Case
The Pretoria Magistrates’ Court has granted bail of R5,000 each to Advocate Avinash Ramapararat, a prosecutor at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU), and two police officers, Sergeant Herman Matsabane Mnguni and Constable Abdul Haig Shaik, from Wierdabrug Police Station.
Bail conditions include a prohibition on interfering with state witnesses and ongoing investigations.
The three face charges of extortion and corruption, allegedly extorting sums of R100,000 and R300,000 from a businessman accused of fraud.
According to reports, after his arrest in June 2024, the businessman was approached by Ramapararat and Shaik, who demanded R300,000 in exchange for his release.
After receiving continued payment requests, the businessman reported the matter, prompting an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Investigations Unit.
A police sting operation led to the arrests, with the officers detained in late October and the prosecutor on 31 October.
The case has been postponed to 17 February 2025 for further investigation.
