Handlers 'not forced' to attack

2003-02-05 21:58

Pretoria - A second witness on Wednesday rejected claims by two former police dog handlers that they were forced by senior officers to set their animals on three illegal immigrants in 1998.

Lodewyk Christiaan Koch disputed statements by his former underlings, Dino Guiotto and Nicolaas Kenneth Loubser, that they decided to obey for their own good but tried to "protect" their victims.

Loubser knew his dog would not bite in any event, while Guiotto restrained his by a leash to make sure the animal could not get a proper grip on the immigrants, defence counsel Charles Coetzee contended.

"That is not true," responded Koch, who is serving a four-year sentence for the same crime. He was testifying for the State.

"They asked us for help with their dogs, and we gave it."

According to Koch, Guiotto sought assistance after it became apparent that his dog refused to attack, even after attending dog school. Loubser had a young dog, not yet trained, which he wanted assessed to see whether it was fit for police work.

It was then decided to arrange a "training exercise" for the two and their dogs, Koch testified. He was the men's shift commander at the time.

'Blougat'

Such "exercises" were not uncommon, he added.

Guiotto and Loubser have claimed they were forced to take part in the session.

They said they were told they would lose their jobs at the North-East Rand dog unit if they refused, and were threatened with physical violence.

Koch chuckled when Coetzee put to him claims by his clients that he (Koch) had threatened them to the effect: "It will not be the first time that a 'blougat' becomes the 'aappak'.

"Blougat" is the term used at the unit to describe new, inexperienced dogs and handlers. An "aappak" is the protective suit worn by handlers when teaching their dogs to attack.

Koch denied saying anything to that effect, or of threatening the men with their jobs.

"No policeman ever has to carry out an illegal order."

Koch told the court Guiotto came to him at a later stage, thanking him for his help with the dog, which has since "tackled" a suspect during an arrest.

He said Guiotto and Loubser knew what their "training" would entail, and were present at the planning that morning of the so-called exercise.

"We all knew that what we were doing was illegal." He also denied Guiotto and Loubser were under orders.

He was accused by Coetzee of lying.

Guiotto and Loubser face three charges each of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, one of corruption for allegedly asking their victims for money in return for their freedom, and a third of attempting to defeat the ends of justice for making false registry entries.

Young dog

Their former colleagues - Koch, Eugene Werner Truter, Jacobus Petrus Smith and Robert Benjamin Henzen - pleaded guilty and were convicted in November 2001.

Smith was sentenced to an effective five years in jail, and the other three to four years each.

The six men were arrested in 2000 shortly before the SABC screened a video showing some of them inciting their dogs to bite three illegal Mozambican immigrants near Benoni on January 3, 1998.

They can also be seen assaulting the victims - Gabriel Pedro Timane, Alexandre Pedro Timane and Sylvester Cose.

Koch denied Guiotto's claims that he restrained his dog in order to inflict only minimal injuries on the victims.

The reason his dog bit only with his front teeth and only clothing, not flesh, was because it was young and just learning to attack, Koch said.

Guiotto claimed he did a thorough examination of the video and the medical reports of the three victims, and came to the conclusion that none of the bite marks were inflicted by his dog.

The trial continues.

- SAPA