Police minister ordered to pay damages for
director’s unlawful detention
27 May 2014 8:26
The police minister has been ordered to pay damages
to a company director who was kept in a Lyttelton police cell despite the North
Gauteng High Court in Pretoria releasing him on bail.
The minister accepted full liability for the
director’s unlawful detention after he was arrested without a warrant on a
charge of rape in June 2011, the Citizen reported today.
The director was accused of rape by a family
member, but the charges were later withdrawn.
The director claimed R740 000 in damages, but the
amount the police minister will pay would be determined at a later stage.
The director claimed he was humiliated, suffered a
loss of dignity, his right to privacy was infringed, and he and his family had
been traumatised to such an extent that they had to undergo counselling.
According to the man’s attorneys, police ignored
his wife’s pleas to let him use chronic medication, laughed at her and chased
her out the station.
- Sapa
