Landman: Police 'don't know'

2003-06-06 20:59

Durban - KwaZulu-Natal police said on Friday they did not know why the provincial directorate of public prosecutions declined to prosecute Theodore Landman, the farmer who is accused of assaulting and maiming black people on his Utrecht farm since 1995.

Director Bala Naidoo said cases against Landman that were referred to the provincial directorate of public prosecutions were declined, and no reason was given.

"I don't know why they were declined. These cases were investigated, and were either declined or pending from the court," Naidoo said.

Landman allegedly inflicted a reign of terror on the people who live and work on his Utrecht farm since 1995 without any legal action taken against him until last week.

Naidoo said a total of 24 cases in which Landman was identified as the suspect were opened at the Utrecht police station. However, Landman reported some cases to counter the allegations against him.

The provincial directorate of public prosecutions declined to prosecute in most of these cases. The Sowetan newspaper said on Friday that 15 out of 19 cases opened against Landman had either been withdrawn or dockets had disappeared.

It said provincial police commissioner Moses Khanyile has since taken over the investigation himself to probe the death of Mgodi Nkosi, 33, and Sam Ndlovu, 36. The two are relatives, and died after Landman allegedly assaulted them.

Philemon Nkosi, 62, was quoted in the newspaper saying he now walks with a limp after Landman assaulted him and broke his leg.

The Independent Complaints Directorate said on Tuesday it would investigate why it took the police so long to bring Landman to court.

National Public Prosecutions spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said the Scorpions, the elite crime busting unit, was not probing allegations against Landman as was reported in the Sowetan on Friday.

But the head of the directorate of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal was looking into the matter.

"We want a report of what happened. We will respond most probably next week," Ngwema said.

The Sowetan said the Scorpions are set to take over investigations into allegations that Landman unleashed a reign of terror on his farmworkers and their family members for years with impunity.

- SAPA