Correctional Services officer’s case a mystery after 3 years following pension payout of millions
|Published
Quinton Plaatjies is missing. supplied image
Nearly three years after a 54-year-old employee of the Department of Correctional Services took early retirement and received a payout in the millions, his sister is appealing for police to reveal who the woman was caught on CCTV footage using his bank card.
This after they revealed to the police that R100 000 vanished from his bank account.
In December, 2021, a year after former Correctional Services Official , Quinton Bradley Baatjies disappeared, the family made a public appeal for help.
They now again come forward claiming that police have remained mum on a woman seen on CCTV at an ATM withdrawing money from Plaatjies bank account and that she was subsequently questioned.
The family explained the woman and male person who were apparently dressed in disguise.
The transaction took place between October and November 2020 near Bethelsdorp in Qheberha.
Plaatjies bank account has since been frozen.
Plaatjies went on early retirement in 2019, after being employed at the Department of Correctional Services in Somerset East where he had worked for over 35 years.
The family revealed he received a payout of close to R4 million and that he left his home prior to October 2020 to visit relatives in Nysschen Street in Bethelsdorp in Qheberha and was never seen again.
Plaatjies’ brand new Ford Ecosport which he paid cash for, was found abandoned on November 7, 2020 outside of Beer Shack in Beach Road in Qheberha.
Items such as his false teeth were also left behind.
The car is now standing at a local police station.
The Hawks had also been roped in to assist with the investigation.
Brigadier Thandi Mbambo of the Hawks said: “This is not our case but we assisted with information and police can be checked.”
Police did not respond to queries despite being sent to the media in the Eastern Cape regarding the family’s claims.
Previously, the police’s Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the case was at a sensitive stage and could not comment.
She said Plaatjies vehicle had been found abandoned near Beer Shack in Beach Road.
Plaatjies sister, Georgina Sammy said they were disappointed in the police poor response to their queries regarding development in the case.
“We heard via a police member that is known to the family that police had apparently questioned the woman who was seen on the video.
“But when we emailed the police and made queries they told us nothing.
“We were also told the case is in the hands of the Hawks.”We successfully put his account on hold, his Capitec account and on 13 November 2020.
“Friday morning early we tried to contact the Bethelsdorp Police Station to be in in charge of my brother's case to obtain a sec. 205 to get evidence of his car’s footage, bank records as he received millions of rands and his cellphone statements and records.
“On obtaining information regarding the case number provided on November 13, 2020, a Constable informed us about a lot of hiccups about Covid-19.”
“Anyone who can assist police in tracing Plaatjies or may know of his disappearance is asked to contact D/Sgt Thembinkosi Cacadu at SAPS Bethelsdorp on 082 442 1667 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or their nearest police station.”