Truck with suspect, cars leave at high speed

MANZINI - Some magistrates, police officers and HMCS vehicles, including a truck which had brought suspects, left the magistrates court speeding.

This followed the threat which was posed by public transport workers, of invading the magistrates court to voice their displeasure about the E6 000 bail for each of their five incarcerated colleagues.

Premises

As a result, those who were in the magistrates court’s premises and wanted to leave, could not because the protesting public transport workers had blocked the road at the Four-Way Stop. They were also hurling stones towards the magistrates court’s direction.

They only managed to leave the magistrates court about 45 minutes after the court appearance of the incarcerated public transport workers. This was after the police, who dispersed the protesting workers who had blocked the road which leads to the court, took control of the situation and signalled to the motorists from the court that they were free to go.

Armed

Notably, all the vehicles came from the court driving slowly, but as they approached the Four-Way Stop, where the armed riot squad of the police were, they increased their speed.

As such, the police (OSSU) vehicles were covered with dust as the cars from the court were speeding when crossing the Four-Way Stop.

The vehicles which left the court at that time included some which were driven by judicial officers, His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS) truck – which had brought suspects to court and that of police officers, among others.

However, it is worth noting that not all the staff members of the magistrates court left at that time. Some judicial officers, prosecutors and clerks remained at their workplace until late afternoon. It was gathered that some continued to work, but most of the cases were postponed to other dates.

(Also see Page 8)