A tip-off led to the arrest of a 37-year-old petrol attendant in connection with the armed robbery in which a police officer was shot in the arm at a filling station in Welkom.
The police’s Knock Out Task Team arrested Mangaliso Stephen Hoko. He appeared in court on 2 December and the case has been postponed to 9 December for bail application.
On 24 November at about 07:00 five armed suspects with automatic rifles and handguns robbed an undisclosed amount of cash at a filling station in Stateway, Welkom.
A police constable from Public Order Policing, and driving an unmarked police vehicle had stopped to fill his vehicle when he was shot in the right shoulder during the robbery in progress. His service firearm was taken.
The suspects fled from the scene with a white Polo with a Free State registration number.
A case of business robbery, malicious damage to property, robbery of a service firearm and attempted murder was registered for further investigation.
The District Commissioner of Lejweleputswa, Maj Gen Lerato Molale thanked residents of Welkom for trusting the police with this sensitive information which led to this arrest. The investigator, Sgt. Andrew Lechesa, and the Task Team were also commended by Molale.
