10 September 2010, 00:09
ANGELIQUE SERRAO
A man who tried to lay a charge of illegal dumping against a truck driver found himself on the wrong side of the law when police officers turned on him.
Selvan Govender lives near the corner of Corlett Drive and Whitney Road in Lyndhurst. He said hijackings were happening weekly, houses were being broken into and people were mugged on the street. He believes this is because the road, which ends near a small stream, is not closed off, and the rubbish that’s been dumped illegally provides a convenient place for criminals to hide.
So, when Govender caught a rubble
removal truck from Greenside dumping illegally, he decided to call the Sandringham police.
He said the driver of the truck heard him making the calls and tried to escape. In the process, he bumped into Govender’s car. He then got out of the car and fled on foot.
At that point a police car arrived.
“I tried to convince the officer to run after the suspect, but he wouldn’t,” said Govender.
Another police van arrived, and Govender said the two police officers started arguing about who would do the paperwork.
A third police van with an inspector arrived.
“I told him the officers didn’t want to help. The owner of the truck now arrived on the scene. The inspector seemed to know him and they were talking. |During the conversation I understood that the owner had been a police officer at the station in the past,” Govender said.
After this, Govender said the inspector turned on him and his neighbour, who had witnessed everything.
“He told my neighbour to shut up and that if the matter goes any further something will happen to him,” said Govender. “He then said he would arrest me for reckless driving and I must accompany the officers to the police |station.”
At the police station, Govender said, he spoke to a colonel, who told the inspector to open a case of illegal dumping and reckless driving against the driver of the truck, but Govender said that when the colonel left, the inspector didn’t follow his orders.
He said the owner of the truck arrived at the police station and spoke to the inspector outside, bought the whole station cooldrinks and was laughing with the officers.
“The inspector told the owner of the truck to lay a charge against me. He then wrote down my statement without my input and told me to sign it,” he said.
Govender said he refused to sign the document because it stated that he had been driving recklessly. He left the police station, taking the statement with him.
“As I got to my road I saw a police van following me at high speed. It was the inspector. He told me I couldn’t take the statement, it was police stationery and belonged to the police. He manhandled me and took the statement from my pocket.
“I told him it seemed the law- abiding public had now become the criminals. He asked me what I was going to do to stop him. Then he searched my car, saying he was looking for illegal weapons,” Govender said.
Govender said the whole incident felt unreal. The next day he went to Hillbrow police station and opened a case of illegal dumping and reckless driving against the owner of the truck.
He said he was also planning to open a case against the inspector for corruption and defeating the ends of justice. The case was transferred to Sandringham station and the driver of the truck has since been arrested.
“What worries me is that there is a high crime rate in this area. What happens if something serious occurs? Who will I go to knowing my local police officers threatened me before?” Govender asked.
Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Opperman said that if a complaint was made officially, police would investigate the claims against the inspector.
The Star
Comments by Sonny
If this article contains the 'facts' then ordinary SA Citizens have a lot to be
scared and wary of!!
Let's see if this new area commissioner can put his money and reputation where his
mouth is!
We wish his everything of the best in his career.
We can only speak for crime in our area.
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