AfriForum tackles cops over arrest

An allegedly wrongfully arrested restaurant manager spoke yesterday of the trauma after spending eight hours behind bars with people who weren’t wearing masks.

On 22 January, police pounced on Hennie’s Restaurant in Moreleta in Pretoria East, accusing it of selling alcohol illegally.

Restaurant manager Atrayo Nolte was arrested and alcohol worth approximately R112 000 was confiscated.

When one of the owners of the restaurant inquired about the missing stock, the police allegedly said one of the three shifts of staff could have consumed it. The missing alcohol included premium whisky, rum and wine. Nonalcoholic gin bottles were also missing.

AfriForum’s private prosecution unit head Gerrie Nel said yesterday they would keep following up with the police regarding the alcohol that disappeared when police raided Hennie’s nine days before the alcohol ban was lifted.

He described it as “absolutely shocking and very serious”.

Nel said they were calling for the officers involved to be prosecuted following the unlawful arrest of the store manager.

“This matter will not disappear, we will make sure there are consequences.”

Nolte said he was traumatised following his arrest.

“I was arrested for doing my job and put into a holding cell with other people who weren’t even wearing masks for eight hours. My temperature wasn’t even taken when I was arrested.”

Werner Pretorius, one of the owners, said he was at a loss for words after the incident. The famous Afrikaans comedian known as Jonathan from Radio Raps is also a branch owner of Hennie’s.

“We employ 40 staff members who support 11 families. As business owners, we lie awake at night wondering how to keep the business afloat. The last thing you need is this behaviour. It is a blatant misuse of power.”

Pretorius said he wasn’t sure what the precise value of the missing alcohol was yet as they were still checking the inventory.

Some of the confiscated bottles were returned opened and half empty. “We can’t trade with that, we will have to get rid of it and replace it,” Pretorius said.

He said on the day of the incident, police refused to adhere to the sanitising and screening regulations. “When the police come in the [front] door your constitutional rights go out the back door,” he added.

Nel said the incident could have been avoided if the police had spent 10 minutes listening to the manager. He said a case of theft would also be opened against the police, adding: “What happened here is grossly unfair.”