Cape Town - Former senior police officer Greg Goss has said that after 36 years of faithful service in the SAPS, he retired with a clean record and was never found guilty of any crime.
Goss remarked in the criminal defamation trial against community activist Colin Arendse in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court.
Arendse is facing four counts of criminal defamation relating to statements he made on social media. The indictment yesterday showed that Arendse in May 2017 posted that he was not all surprised that an alleged rape incident occurred under the watch of that “local idiot Goss”.
He also posted on Facebook on July 28, 2017 that Goss was one of the most corrupt members of the SAPS.
It is the State case that Arendse is guilty of criminal defamation.
Arendse pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyer Winston Erasmus argued that the case was a constitutional matter, as his client was expressing his right to freedom of speech.
Goss said: “I was a disciplinary chairperson within the SAPS in numerous matters, which showed that the SAPS trusted me. General Oswald Reddy previously investigated me, and found me not guilty.
“After Arendse’s complaint was sent to the SAPS head office, they called me and sent down two officers.
“The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigated the matter, and concluded there was nothing wrong,” Goss pointed out.
He said under his watch Mitchells Plain police station was one of the best performing stations.
In cross-examination, Erasmus raised the issue of 15 state-issued .9mm service pistols that went missing from the station in August 2017.
Goss said the guns were not under his control, which Ipid had concluded.
@TheCapeArgus