Former SAPS finance boss accused of pocketing R1.2 million in fake payments

A FORMER high-ranking police officer, once trusted with overseeing finances for the South African Police Service in Upington, has landed in the dock - this time on the wrong side of the law.

Hawks Northern Cape spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Tebogo Thebe said that members swooped in on the ex-cop, Pieter Andries Nel, at his Upington home this week, arresting him on charges of fraud, money laundering, and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

Nel, a former lieutenant-colonel and head of financial services for the SAPS in the ZF Mgcawu District, allegedly abused his position between 2022 and 2024 by siphoning off more than R1.2 million through a series of bogus transactions. Investigators believe he created and approved fake payments, which were then funnelled directly into his personal bank account.

He was responsible for authorising payments to service providers, as well as managing travel and subsistence claims for police officers in the district - an access point he allegedly used to fuel the fraudulent scheme.

Following his arrest by members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, Nel appeared briefly in the Upington Magistrate’s Court. His case was postponed to May 29, for a formal bail application as the investigation continues.