Dina cop facing jail ‘is already cosy with gang’

Dina cop facing jail ‘is already cosy with gang’
December 2011
By Shellee Geduld

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Esmerald Bailey leaves Cape Town Magistrates Court. Photo: Ross Jansen

The disgraced top cop who busted Baby Killer Dina Rodrigues is cosying up to gangsters to make prison life easier.

Captain Esmerald Bailey was arrested last week on charges of corruption and dealing in unlicensed ammunition following an undercover sting operation.

Bailey, 43, is currently being held in the cells at Sea Point Police Station pending the outcome of her formal bail application next week.

If her bail bid fails, she will find herself on the first truck to Pollsmoor prison.

And if found guilty, she could find herself incarcerated at the Breede River Female Correctional Centre, along with Dina and Black Widow Najwa Petersen, convicted of killing her music legend husband Taliep Petersen.

A prison source says dirty cops are usually targeted by other inmates but the Daily Voice can reveal that Bailey has already put a plan in motion to prevent this.

“She’s going to be ok if she goes to prison,” says a source close to the well-connected top cop.

“She’s bought herself some leverage in the underworld and nobody will touch her.

“There is a story going around that she sold a gun to a leading member of the 28s gang.

“And if you in with the 28s then you are pretty much safe.”

The source says things would’ve been very different if Bailey did not have the protection of the 28s gang.

“She would’ve had a big problem on her hands. And the prison authorities would’ve had to keep her separate from the other inmates.”

The source explains that new inmates are made to do all the “dirty work” and even bring their cellmates “gifts”.

“The prison gangs would’ve made her work to stay alive.

“And they would force her to get her family to deposit money into her prison account and then use that money on them.

“She would also be required to bring them gifts like drugs and cigarettes.

“But if she does go to Pollsmoor prison, then she will be held in the hospital section because of her depression.”

Bailey was arrested last Friday when members of the elite Hawks unit busted a man for selling ammuniton to an undercover agent.

The man, Waleed Hendricks, led cops to Bailey’s flat in Palm Springs, Brooklyn, where they uncovered police uniforms, several rounds of ammunition, missing case dockets and exhibits including bullet cartridges, jewellery and money as well as a tik lolly.

Two members of the Wonder Kids gang from Kensington were in the flat when cops raided the place.

A female warder based at Pollsmoor prison tells the Daily Voice that Bailey will be kept separate from the general population at the prison if she fails to secure her release on bail.

“Her safety and her life will be in danger if she is put into a communal cell,” says the warder.

“Whenever a person like her, in other words a police officer, is arrested, they will be kept in a single cell or in the hospital section.

“They will be kept separate from the general population for their own safety.”

The warder says female inmates would victimise, intimidate and assault her constantly.

But the source adds that Bailey will also be kept away from other inmates when she is transported to and from prison.

“She will sit in the front of the prison truck and not in the back,” says the source.

“There isn’t really much place for female inmates at the back of the prison trucks because there are so many men being transported to and from court every day.

“If she is put into the back of the prison truck anything can happen there and she will probably end up being beaten up and assaulted.”

A source close to the investigation says cops are determined not to show Bailey any mercy and want her to go to prison.

“Corruption of any sort is unacceptable,” says the source.

“And you can’t have corruption within the police, especially not at her level of seniority.”

*This article was published in the Daily Voice