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Moorosi Tsiane
A Quthing man has asked the High Court to allow him to sue Commissioner of Police, Holomo Molibeli, for M400 000 after police officers allegedly assaulted him with a hammer, seriously injuring him.
Tšeliso Sekele filed a notice of motion recently asking the court to allow him to sue Commissioner Molibeli beyond the six months allowed in Section 77 of the Police Service Act No.7.
Commissioner Molibeli and Attorney-General Rapelang Motsieloa are first and second respondents respectively.
In his application, Mr Sekele submitted that he was brutally assaulted and unlawfully detained by Quthing Police in August 2020.
He said upon arrival at the police station, he was interrogated in relation to a burglary that had happened at a shed in Quthing. After the interrogation he was detained and heavily assaulted.
“….I was summoned to report to the investigations office at Quthing Police Post. Upon arrival there, I was asked questions relating to the burglary that had occurred at the shed. The police officers said that my explanation was a lie and therefore detained me,” submitted Mr Sekele.
During his detention he claimed he was assaulted with a hot object, in addition to being beaten with a hammer on his feet.
“During detention, I was assaulted with a hot object. I was further instructed to put off my shoes and was assaulted with a hammer on my feet continually. I was released but could not walk anymore,” Mr Sekele said.
Mr Sekele said when he was released, he took a medical form and went to the hospital where the doctors’ report showed that there were fractures on his feet.
His claims is structured as M200 000 for pain, shock, and suffering, M100 000 for assault and M100 000 for contumelia.
Mr Sekele said he had not instituted the action within six months of the assault as per the Police Service Act of 1998 because he did not have money to pay for legal costs, among other things.
His application will be heard on 13 February 2023. It joins a multitude of others in which Commissioner Molibeli is being sued for the regular
