Ipid still probing Goodwood man’s assault allegation

THE assault of a Goodwood man in December, allegedly by several police officers while he was in custody, is still under investigation, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) said.

Marlon Samuels, 22, said a 2012 charge came back to haunt him last year when police followed up to eventually arrest him before allegedly assaulting him while in custody.

Samuels charged that he spent a weekend in detention battered, bruised and traumatised after police allegedly also told other criminals in the cell to join in the assault.

“These cases are still being investigated.

“The challenge is that the investigation response officer is in quarantine,” Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola said.

While he said the possession of tik charge was withdrawn at Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court, Samuels said he had many sleepless nights thereafter filled with anxiety, reliving the incident and waking up in cold sweats.

“I felt powerless and trapped because there was nothing I could do to defend myself. I was hit with a crate, punched in the face and hit with a hose pipe containing something heavy inside. Luckily, the other guys in the cell left me alone, but imagine if they listened to the cops. What would have happened to me?” Samuels asked.

He said to add insult to injury, he watched other detainees receive visitors, while his family were not allowed to see him.

Two days before (Thursday, December 10, 2020) he was arrested, he said a man and a woman showed up at his door asking for him, claiming to be police officers following up on a robbery case in which he was the complainant.

“I was suspicious because they were wearing casual clothes and driving an unmarked vehicle. I thought they could be criminals trying to rob me again, so I told them there was no Marlon there. I called my uncle and he spoke to them.”

His uncle Carlton Adams said: “I mentioned that I was an ex-cop and they could give me their contact details so we could follow up ourselves. The next day, we called Goodwood police station asking for the investigating officer, but we did not get hold of her.”

On December 12, Samuels was arrested, this time on a warrant for the tik charge.

“In the car already they told me, ‘You are going to see what we will do to you for taking us for a fool. Call your uncle, where is he now?’”