Pretoria - AfriForum has laid theft charges against the police officers who confiscated alcohol worth thousands of rand at Hennie’s Restaurant in Moreleta Park.
In a press conference advocate Gerrie Nel, head of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, said the officers also allegedly arrested the restaurant manager, Atrayo Nolte, unlawfully.
The unit currently represents Werner Pretorius, owner of the restaurant.
Three police officers entered the restaurant on January 22, 2021, alleging that Nolte was serving alcoholic drinks to customers.
Nolte assured the officers repeatedly that they had not been serving alcohol.
He even showed them the invoices that indicated that all served drinks had contained no alcohol.
The officers refused to accept the documents, however, or to include these in the dossier.
They also confiscated liquor in the storeroom to the value of R112 000, most of it still sealed.
No arrests were made at the venue. Nolte went with the officers to the Garsfontein police station, where he was arrested for violating the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002.
Nolte had to spend eight hours in the holding cells in the company of other prisoners, most of whom did not wear masks.
The police also demanded Nolte’s pregnant wife come to the police station to confirm his home address before being released on bail.
The National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charges against Nolte earlier in the week.
Despite this, the police initially refused to return the liquor to the restaurant.
The stock was returned without explanation, however, after Pretorius’s consultation with AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit.
“It seems that Police Minister Bheki Cele wants his reckless behaviour to be copied. For example, arresting a lone surfer in front of the media or halting a permitted film production on the beach.
“We remain hopeful that the police management will ensure that police officers act according to the law and avoid any form of power abuse or irrational action,” said Nel.
Pretoria News