Charges for
‘Toti workshop police’
7
June 2013, 2:44pm
YOGAS
NAIR
Durban - The eight policemen who forcibly removed a colleague’s
private vehicle from an eManzimtoti repair shop will be charged with
intimidation and business robbery.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye
Ngobeni confirmed yesterday that all eight policemen had been on duty at the
time and had used state vehicles to commit the alleged offence.
“Their mere presence at Barry’s Auto Clinic intimidated Collen
Ballard (the workshop manager) which enabled them to fulfil their actions,” a
statement from Ngobeni reads.
Community Safety and Liaison MEC, Willies Mchunu, said yesterday
that none of the policemen had been authorised by their commanders to give
support or assist their colleague in retrieving his vehicle.
Ngobeni said the policemen who drove the vehicles had been
identified as being from the uMlazi TRT and eManzimtoti police station. She
confirmed a case of house-breaking of a business premises and intimidation was
being investigated.
In a statement to police, a warrant officer admitted taking his
vehicle for repairs to Barry’s Auto Clinic in December. He was quoted R25 000
for the repairs, which he said he accepted.
The work was completed in January and the policeman paid a
deposit of R8 000.
He was then informed that a fee of R300 a day would be charged
for storage, which he agreed to, but he said the workshop owner told him after
120 days that he was going to hand the matter over to his attorneys and sell
the vehicle to recover his costs.
The policeman said he then paid the owner for repairs
undertaken, but did not pay the storage fees.
The owner of the workshop, Barry Male, said the policeman owed
him R39 000 in storage fees.
“He agreed to the payment arrangement but then he backtracked.”
Male said he had proof that since January he had made 185 cellphone calls and
eight landline calls to the policeman to tell him to fetch his vehicle.
He also sent him 16 SMSes.
Male said only after the Daily News highlighted the story on
Monday did police management act on the incident.
“Now the MEC is involved too. I am really relieved. I hope this
nightmare is over soon.”
He said two senior policemen had visited him yesterday to take
statements.
A Lieutenant-Colonel Govender has been appointed to investigate
the alleged misconduct in terms of the SAPS disciplinary regulations.
Mchunu called on Koekie Mbeki, the acting executive director of
the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, to also investigate the
allegations.
He also commended Ngobeni for her prompt actions in dealing with
the matter.
Daily News
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