BRAKPAN-On Monday 17 October 2022, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) CLU Community Liaison Unit received information, sourced from video footage and photos trending on social media and community groups, regarding an Ekurhuleni Environment and Waste truck which was being drained of diesel.
It was established that the truck was booked into an external service centre for repairs in Benoni. The service provider, who was not employed by the City of Ekurhuleni, had called the foreman of the Brakpan workshop to request diesel for the truck. The suspect alleged that the truck was repaired and awaiting delivery to Kempton Park, however, did not have sufficient fuel to reach its’ destination. The officers proceeded to the fuel depot in Brakpan and upon checking the diesel log sheet from the petrol attendant it found that the truck poured two hundred and twenty-two (221) litres of diesel on Monday 17 October.
The EMPD (CLU) members decided to continue their investigation and established that the truck went to fill up again, where one hundred and seventy-seven (177) litres of diesel was poured into the truck the next day. Members of the unit searched for the truck and spotted it at Benoni’s workshop. It is alleged that the suspect took the truck to his house on McMillan Street to drain the diesel that was poured over the two days.
The suspect, who was arrested at his home, alleges that he only drained two (2) containers of twenty-five (25) litres. When asked about the person who was in the video with him, the suspect claims he does not know the person’s whereabouts, alleging he only knows the person is from Tsakane.
The suspect was detained at Brakpan police station and charged with theft, and will appear in Brakpan Magistrates Court soon. Investigations are ongoing and further arrests are imminent.
