1st September 2011

 Cop cars sold to pay damages to victim

 

Five cars belonging to the Siyabuswa police station in Mpumalanga will be removed and possibly auctioned off on Friday to pay a victim of unlawful and malicious arrest.

The sheriff of the Mkobola and Mdutjana Magistrate's Courts would remove the cars, worth an estimated R800,000, to pay damages to John Bossie Mahlangu following his arrest in June, his lawyer Msebenzi Masombuka said on Thursday.

Mahlangu was arrested on his wedding day and detained for four days after police accused him of being in possession of stolen cattle.

Mahlangu said he had given his cousin, John Masilela, R9000 that week to buy two cows for him as part of ilobola. Masilela however stole the cattle and delivered them to Mahlangu. He argued in court there was no way he could have known the animals were stolen because Masilela normally bought and sold cattle.

He told the Times Live website he was assaulted by inmates and slept on the floor in jail without blankets and pillows. He said he attended court several times. Charges against him were eventually withdrawn as police failed to link him to the crime.