complainants

Colonel Padayachee expressed concern that the A1 statement, which contains complainants' names, is publicly available in the media and social media while the case is before court, and cautioned about sub judice issues and public domain disclosure.

“the A1 statement is all over social media ... it contains the name of the complainants ... I have my concerns ... there are further documents ... also going to be flighted out there in the public domain when the case currently is before Court ... sub judice issue ... that particular docket is still under investigation”

The complainants' statements were accepted as true without interrogation, leading to conclusions that suspects obstructed justice based solely on those allegations, raising questions about investigative impartiality.

“You accept the complaint as true...these people were conducting an operation...you close your mind...you accept the allegation as true and draw your conclusions...raises the question, why do you even get statements if you are not going to engage with them?”

The complainants were interviewed on 2021-10-13, and after initial interviews and statement collection, they gave supplementary statements but there were no further interview engagements with them by IPID concerning the matter.

“They handed their statements in the docket, but we also had another encounter when they were giving their supplementary statements. We never had any other engagements in terms of interviewing them about the matter”

The complainants' complaint was that they were arrested while conducting a lawful operation, which was contested as unlawful according to IPID investigation.

“their complaint is that they were arrested when they were conducting a lawful operation .”

Sergeant Nkosi confirms that complainants normally have access to warrants of arrest, but he had never seen a complainant with one before.

“Do complainants normally have access to warrants of arrest ? That is correct . They do ? That is correct, if they are complainants, according to me . Which other complainants have you seen in possession of warrants of arrest ? None . None ? Yes . This is the first time you have come across a complainant who had a warrant of arrest ? Yes . This was my first time, Commissioner .”