Court queries cop's treatment

2003-11-25 22:44

Liela Magnus

Pretoria - A magistrate on Tuesday questioned the preferential treatment afforded director Vincent Ntengo, the policeman whom it is claimed was involved in the unlawful arrest of a magistrate from Groblersdal.

Ntengo is charged with contempt of court, crimen injuria and abduction.

Although a warrant was issued for Ntengo's arrest, he was not kept in the court holding cells, but allowed to sit in the hall until his case was called.

Magistrate Pierre Louwrens wanted to know why Ntengo had not been held in the cells.

When told by prosecutor Ralph Chiloane that Ntengo had been brought to court by a senior police officer, Louwrens said this was not a reason for preferential treatment.

The charges against Ntengo resulted from an incident earlier this month in Groblersdal when, it is claimed, he was involved in the arrest of magistrate Hendrik van der Walt for allegedly defeating the ends of justice.

Van der Walt had postponed and then scrapped fraud cases against a Marble Hall police officer and a Groblersdal traffic official. In both cases, the police dockets were not at court.

Van der Walt would have spent the night behind bars if a senior police official had not intervened.

Louwrens ruled that Ntengo was not allowed to visit Groblersdal before his next court appearance. The case was referred to Middelburg magistrate's court.

- Beeld