Three claim police assault
THREE men who claim they were assaulted by police officers after an alleged break-in at the home of a policeman in the Chris Hani Sabelo Phambo Military Veterans settlement in Komani, are considering laying a charge.
The men said they were members of a group of seven who were allegedly interrogated and beaten by police on Thursday afternoon after the break in at 10am.
Faizel Daniels said he was surprised to have been arrested at a cellular phone shop in Victoria Road.
“I was in the shop around 2pm when a policeman grabbed my chest, asking the whereabouts of his stolen items. I was puzzled. He began swearing at me. He tied my hands with a cable and took me to the police vehicle.”
Daniels showed head injuries which he said were due to him having been beaten with a chair.
He said he had no knowledge of the break in.
“I was at my girlfriend’s place and I went home around 1pm,” he said.
While he was at the police station with two other suspects he said a police officer – the one whose house had been broken into – pointed a gun at him and threatened him with a knife.
The Daniels family lives near the policeman with Faizel’s mother, Elmery, saying she had confronted the policeman about the injuries to her son. “I said you hit my son and my heart is broken because I know you. He said you can open a case against me, I do not care.” Another man, Keven Reddy, who said he had injuries to his back and knee cap, said he was arrested by the same police member. Reddy said he had been at work at the time of the break-in, but that the officer had told him that a child had identified him as being near the house at the time. “When we got to the police station the policemen started beating us with pipes. There was a time when Daniels was unconscious and they continued to hit him.” Shop owner Bilal Pervaiz said he was also arrested, allegedly because he was seen driving past the house on Thursday. “I had gone there to visit my friend. The police beat me with a plank and a gun was pointed at me. I was hit with a chair on my head and arms.” The men said they were planning to lay charges against the police, but feared retaliation. At the time of going to press, it could not be established whether such charges had been laid. Police spokeswoman Captain Namhla Mdleleni said: “If anyone has a complaint against the police they have the right to open a case. We will take it to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate for investigation.”