Top cop honoured for outstanding service

A top Free State investigator was honoured by the national police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, as the most improved DPCI member in the country earlier this year.

Top Free State investigator, Sergeant Moeletsi Mamatela, was this week honoured for his outstanding work in the South African Police Service (SAPS) over the years, after cracking open tough cases for the directorate for priority crime investigation (DPCI) unit, popularly known as the Hawks.

The DPCI bestowed the overall investigator award to Mamatela on Monday evening at a prestigious gala event that was held at the President Hotel in Bloemfontein. Earlier this year after, he was honoured by the national police commissioner, Riyah Phiyega, as the most improved DPCI member in the country.

The Free State DPCI award committee chose him as the overall winner for the DPCI excellence awards for 2012/2013 after he obtained the highest number of asset forfeiture court orders since 2010.

His achievements include ensuring nine victim payments to the value of R 490 326.42 out of the R 2 230 970 deposited by the central asset forfeiture unit (AFU) during the 2011 and 2012.

In 2012 and 2013 period, he contributed to 14 payments to the value of R 488 871.74 out of the R 648 854 deposited by the central AFU. This amounts to nearly R1-million that was paid back to victims of crime in a two-year period due to investigations finalised by the diligent Mamatela.

During the same period, Mamatela singlehandedly sourced 43 of the 119 cases that had been evaluated for asset forfeiture potential.

This is 36 percent of the cases that were evaluated. The financial asset forfeiture investigative unit (FAFI) strongly relies on cases sourced and Mamatela’s contribution in this regard, resulted in more than a quarter of the work evaluated. He also started training and awareness sessions in the Free State on his own initiative, which resulted in numerous cases being referred to FAFI.

One of the successful cases investigated by Mamatela, involved the armed robbery at the Metsimaholo Local Municipality where the suspects walked away with R327 000. Due to his contribution, the municipality was reimbursed following the arrest of the suspects.

Mamatela told The Weekly that he developed interest in the police service since childhood and has always been passionate about fighting crime.

The hard-working Mamatela joined the SAPS in 2010. A few years later he was appointed as an asset investigator; seconded to the asset forfeit unit and was recruited into the newly formed financial and asset forfeiture investigation unit (FAFI) in 2011 after its establishment within the DPCI.

Mamatela is one of the only two asset investigators who serve the entire Free State province. He was praised by his superiors for serving the police service with dedication and commitment to go the extra mile in arresting criminals.