The mother of a 26-year-old suspect arrested for alleged drug possession says the family has been through hell since last Friday (17 January).
The mother who do not want to be named due to the case pending says her son is innocent.
The suspect was on his way from work to attend mosque at noon on Friday when a friend travelling in the same direction asked for a lift. He dropped the friend in the Newlands/Bergbron area. As soon as he drove off members of the Florida police stop him and accused him of having drugs in his possession. According to the suspect, the police then asked him whether he “wants to negotiate or if they should call the K9-unit”. The suspect’s mother says that her son decide not to pay a bribe since he believed he was innocent. The police then searched his car and found a small brown packet. They did not open it in front of him and promptly arrested him and took him to Florida police station. At no time did they show him what was inside the packet neither did they weigh the drugs in front of him as is required by the mandate of the police
The mother says her son was booked at about 9.30pm and then taken to the Roodepoort police station due to the fact that new holding cells are being built at Florida police station.
She says at the Roodepoort police station she was approached by three different policemen who all eagerly asked her if she needed a lawyer. She believes they receive a ‘kick-back’ if they organise a lawyer.
She paid R5000 for her own lawyer which included R800 bail and her son was finally released at 11pm. She also paid the lawyer another R2000 for the court appearance.
Florida police station spokesperson, Captain Lydia Dikolomelo confirmed the correct procedure was not followed.
Certain questions are now being raised of which two are quite pertinent to the her. If they do not know what was in the packet then who says it was not replaced with ‘real’ drugs when it is sent off to the laboratory? If it was not weighed in front of the suspect how would they know what amount was in the packet?
The record has asked Dikolomelo to find out who the arresting officer was and why the correct procedure was not followed. She said she could not find such a case in the register but the suspect’s mother will shortly supply Dikolomela with the case number.
The suspect appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court today and the case was postponed until 13 February (22 January).
Five officers from Honeydew, Roodepoort and Florida police station was recently arrested on charges of corruption and the record is currently awaiting comment from the police’s provincial structure.
