Dog cop 'prepared' for jail

2003-06-06 10:37

Philip de Bruin

Johannesburg - "Kobus, the three children and I are very emotional, but we are prepared to face the fact that Kobus is going to prison within days to start five years' imprisonment."

So says Corné, wife of Kobus Smith, one of four former members of the police's East Rand dog unit who appeared in a video shown worldwide, urging their dogs to attack illegal immigrants.

Smith was found guilty in the High Court and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, two of which were suspended.

His appeal was turned down on Friday last week and his legal representative, Mauritz Janeke, said that, strictly speaking, Smith was now "a prisoner". His wife said he was ready to go to prison.

"The only regret I have is that people do not really know my husband. He isn't a racist and has many coloured and black friends.

"We are bitter because the police do not look after their own.

"Kobus and his colleagues had been trained and given instructions to carry out their duties.

"They now have to pay the penalty for that by going to prison."

The East Rand traffic official who blew the whistle by supplying the video of a "training session" to the SABC, is apparently still under police protection.

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- Beeld