Police officers have arrested a Bayview police station constable for allegedly arranging the murder of veteran police officer Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Pillay who was gunned down outside his home in Lotus Park, Isipingo last month.
Pillay, 50, who worked at the SAPS Durban South internal disciplinary unit, had returned home with his wife, Rosanne, from shopping and left her in his car in their driveway while he chatted to a neighbour. He was approached by a man who apparently first asked him his name and then shot him three times before fleeing.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge said a special task team set up by Police Commissioner Bheki Cele had been working tirelessly and yesterday arrested the alleged hitman. The team included members of the Durban Organised Crime Unit.
Mdunge said working on information from the alleged hitman police were led to a police block of flats, Excelsior Court, in Ridge Road where they arrested a police constable who they suspect of arranging the murder.
"This police constable had assaulted a police captain at the Bayview Police station and Francis Pillay was appointed by the provincial commissioner as the presiding officer over the internal disciplinary inquiry.
"This constable suspected that Pillay was going to fire him from the police service and so he went to the KwaMashu Men's Hostel and hired a hitman for R5 000.
"He took the hitman in his car to Pillay's house and waited from him to execute Francis and then assisted him escape," said Mdunge.
Mdunge said the constable had been removed from the Bayview to the Bellair Police Station pending an inquiry.
"He is in custody and is facing charges of murder and conspiracy to murder with the co-accused," said Mdunge.
Pillay had been with the police service for 32 years and was also a qualified lawyer who dealt with the internal disciplinary hearings of SAPS officers involved in criminal offences.