Police to be further
investigated
A Pretoria high court judge has ruled that further
investigations be carried out in the case of Lucas Mutau, who claimed he was
assaulted by police officers in 2005. Judge Piet Ebersohn requested on May 2
that a copy of his judgement be forwarded to the Independent Investigating
Authority, after he ruled that the police were liable for the damages claimed
by Mutau.
10 May 2012 | Riana Joubert
POLOKWANE - A Pretoria high court judge has ruled
that further investigations be carried out in the case of Lucas Mutau, who
claimed he was assaulted by police officers in 2005.
Judge Piet Ebersohn requested on May 2 that a copy of his judgement be forwarded to the Independent Investigating Authority, after he ruled that the police were liable for the damages claimed by Mutau. He also said he was outraged that the police involved seemed to have forged and altered documents of the court.
• On March 27 2005, Lucas Mutau and 15 of his friends were returning from a party, and were dropped off by a taxi at a street corner in Seshego.
A police vehicle approached them and they fled on foot, taking a cooler box and unopened bottles of beer with them. Mutau said: "I was chased down and caught by two of the cops who then assaulted me for a long time".
His eye was bleeding and he was handcuffed and taken to the police station for drinking in public, which Mutau denied.
The station commander noticed his injuries and ordered Mutau be taken to hospital, where he was found to be blind in the eye, which continued for several months.
Mutau claimed damages from the SAPF and two police officers. He was awarded a punitive costs order against the police.
Judge Ebersohn said there were several worrying factors in this case including the fact that the police presented two forged statements in court.
