Cops pay out R700K for botched raid
February 21 2015 at 02:11pm
INDEPENDENT
MEDI
The SAPS has paid Simon Guidetti R700 000 in
damages for destroying parts of his Bedfordview property. Photo: Matthews
Baloyi
Johannesburg - The SAPS has paid Simon Guidetti R700 000 in damages for
destroying parts of his Bedfordview property when they mistakenly raided it in
2011 in search of Czech fugitive, Radovan Krejcir.
But the Saturday Star understands that police want the money to be
recovered from Gauteng Hawks boss Major-General Shadrack Sibiya who organised
the raid and was assisted with information by forensic investigator Paul
O’Sullivan on the night of March 22.
Guidetti told media at the time that he had not been home at the time of
the raid.
But two of his employees, AlphiusMatshavha and Christina Modutoane, were
awoken at about midnight to the sound of stun grenades, a helicopter, an
armoured vehicle and several police officials rushing onto the premises.
He claimed the police members damaged the front gate, the garage door,
front door and ransacked every room in the house and even ripped the security
gates inside the house out of the walls.
National police spokesman Solomon Makgale confirmed that Guidetti had won
his damages claim against the SAPS.
Police received a civil claim of about R2 million, but only paid about
R700 000, excluding legal costs, based on a report from an independent assessor
on the structural repair costs.
“We paid this money and did not recover it from the officers who were
there because, based on information provided at the time, it was clear that
this was an honest mistake in the execution of their duties,” Makgale said.
At least seven Hawks members, who took part in the raid, deposed
affidavits soon afterward, describing the operation in detail.
They all recalled they were briefed by Sibiya about a “very dangerous
suspect” from the Czech Republic who has “highly-trained bodyguards from
Serbia”. The suspect, Krejcir, they all recalled, lived at 54 Kloof Road. It
was O’Sullivan who pointed out the house to them, they said.
They also said Sibiya and O’Sullivan had met them at a nearby shopping
centre to plan the operation and some of them accompanied the pair to drive
past the property several times to stake out the house and check out its
entrances.
O’Sullivan said on Friday that the property he pointed out was 54A Kloof
Road, not 54 Kloof Road.
“I cannot be held responsible if one or two over-enthusiastic members
decided to also penetrate the neighbour’s house. If anyone says that I pointed
out 54, then that person is either lying or is confused.
“The duty of every citizen in the country is to assist the police when
called upon to do so, in order to reduce crime. Putting Krejcir away was at the
top of my list, principally because he was going all out to have me murdered,
from 2010 through to the present time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Saturday Star also understands that there is an internal
inquiry under way into the overall conduct of Sibiya and his relationship with
O’Sullivan.
But Hawks’ Brigadier HangwaniMulaudzi would not confirm this saying a
general internal investigation is being conducted.
On Friday, Pretoria High Court Judge Elias Matojane ruled that Sibiya’s
suspension as the Gauteng Hawks boss was unconstitutional, invalid and
unlawful.
The court also declared invalid the appointment of Major-General Elias
Dlamini to replace Sibiya as acting Gauteng boss of the Directorate for
Priority Crime Investigations.
Hawks acting national head Major-General BerningNtlemeza suspended
Sibiya pending a probe into his alleged role in the illegal rendition of
Zimbabweans to that country’s police in 2010.
The judge ordered Ntlemeza to pay Sibiya’s legal costs.
Mulaudzi said the police had a “very serious case” against Sibiya.
“In due time the public will know what is going on. We are dealing with
senior counsel. There is certain information that we have said we are not
putting in the public arena for now,” said Mulaudzi.
“There are other cases that we are looking at.
“We will be able to put these matters in front of everyone so they know
what we are talking about.”
Saturday Star
