Cape Town - A Hanover Park crime fighter whose family was beaten and arrested has shown Metro Police to be liars after he and his son were cleared of all charges.
The director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, claimed Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson Ebrahiem Abrahams and his family were the cause of Gouwa Karriem’s killers getting away.
However, two suspects were arrested within minutes of the shooting at Donegal Court on Sunday, while cops on Thursday confirmed a third suspect, aged 17, was nabbed on Wednesday.
Abrahams and his son, Yusuf, 27, were charged with being riotous in their own home, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and obstructing police officers from executing their duties.
Gouwa Karriem was killed in the ongoing gang war. Picture: Supplied.
Appeared in court
But when they appeared in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, they were told the National Prosecuting Authority would not be moving ahead with the case and the charges were dropped.
Sunday’s altercation came shortly after Gouwa, 28, was killed during a shootout between rival gangs.
The mom saved several children by getting them into a house, but was hit in
the head.
Abrahams explained he heard a commotion and then officers came to his door and told him someone had thrown an ammunition magazine in his yard and they wanted to retrieve it.
He said he granted them permission, but questioned why they were not chasing the suspect.
He said the cops became angry and started swearing at and assaulting him, his son Yusuf and his wife Insaaf.
The three showed the Daily Voice their injuries and bruises.
On Wednesday, Bosman claimed the family interfered with an arrest.
“Officers responding to a fatal shooting incident in the vicinity of Donegal Court at 4pm followed up on witness descriptions of the suspects involved,” he said.
“Officers apprehended one of the suspects, but the community became riotous and attacked them, allowing the suspect to flee.
“During a subsequent search of the area, officers found drugs abandoned at a house in Surburg Road.
“One of them spotted an empty 9mm magazine and plastic ammunition holder lying in the yard of an adjacent property, and tried to retrieve it.
“Two men interfered with the officer and were then arrested for hindering and interfering with official duties, riotous behaviour, assault on a police official and resisting arrest.
Interference
“As a result of the chain of events on Sunday afternoon, the alleged killers of a young woman got away, because of community interference.”
Bosman said an officer sustained a cut to his forehead as a result of the incident, but could not explain how the injury was sustained.
According to Yusuf, Constable Baartman head-butted him three times, injuring himself in the process.
And Abrahams said the officers made no mention of chasing murder suspects, but only wanted the magazine.
Meanwhile, two suspects, aged 19 and 28, alleged to be members of the Pitbull gang had been arrested near Abrahams’ home on Sunday.
It is not clear whether SAPS or Metro Police made the arrests.
Mustapha de Jongh and Kyle Mandera appeared at Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and are awaiting trial in Pollsmoor Prison.
When the Daily Voice asked Bosman whether he was referring to other suspects, he responded: “This is all we can say at the moment, as anything more could potentially prejudice any future investigations into the matter”.
The 17-year old suspect appeared in Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Friday on a charge of murder.