Oscar Pistorius targeted in scam attempt

A man has been arrested in South Africa after allegedly posing as a prosecution official and offering to quash Oscar Pistorius's murder conviction.

Oscar Pistorius was the target of a scam in which a man posing as a prosecution official offered to quash the former track star's murder conviction in exchange for $US16,400 ($A21,400), South African police say.

Police say the 33-year-old man was arrested on Friday next to a Pretoria courthouse after receiving an initial payment of $US2600 in a police sting operation.

They say the man faces corruption charges.

A police statement says the man accused of masquerading as a National Prosecuting Authority official promised "to have Oscar Pistorius' murder case destroyed".

In a statement, Pistorius's family commends police for their "swift and efficient" handling of the case.

South Africa's highest court dismissed Pistorius's appeal against his murder conviction for the death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 18.


Share
1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world