Popcru ordered to pay Phahlane R350k

THE Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and four of its members were yesterday ordered by the High Court in Pretoria to pay Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane R350 000 for defamation.

Phahlane had wanted half-a-million rand in damages.

Popcru has also been ordered to retract defamatory accusations and to make a public apology in leading newspapers before August 1.

The case relates to defamatory statements alleging corruption within the forensic services under Phahlane’s leadership dating back to 2012.

Popcru made the allegations in a media statement on September 12 2012.

Phahlane was removed as acting national police commissioner a month ago when his contract expired on June 1.

He faces allegations of corruption by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) and so has not returned to his post as forensic services divisional commissioner.

Phahlane sued the union‚ its Gauteng provincial secretary Matsemela Matsemela and three policemen stationed in Pretoria – Darius Ramolobe‚ Setlaboswana Malatje and Sello Ramalepe.

Phahlane testified at the trial in the high court in March and denied any of the statements relating to him were true and said they were defamatory.

One of the allegations was that Phahlane presented false statistics to parliament on the work of the laboratory.

Phahlane testified the allegation was false as it related to information that was not yet captured and analysed.

Phahlane testified that he understood the complaint to mean he was a liar‚ deceitful and a manipulator who misled parliament.

In his judgment‚ Judge Ramarumo Monama said the media statement used emotive words to communicate.

He said the words “conceal”‚ “manipulate” and “fraudulent” were not words of endearment.

He said the statement undermined the status‚ good name and reputation of Phahlane.

“The defamation is‚ if I were to put it‚ on the highest scale‚” Monama said. — TMG