DURBAN: VICTIMS of crimes are being denied justice as investigators within the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) in KZN allegedly closed cases without proper investigation.
This is according to the police watchdog’s national ethics manager , Amar Maharaj, who told the Moerane Commission, on Wednesday, that the Ipid office in KZN was “dysfunctional”. He was echoing sentiments of social justice activist Vanessa Burger who testified before the commission last month.
The Moerane Commission, which is currently holding public hearings in Durban, is investigating the underlying causes of the ongoing political violence in KZN.
“Some cases were closed and the reason given were that the investigating officer had been attending court on another matter, or they could not track down witnesses. That is unacceptable,” Maharaj told the commission.
He said cases can only be recorded as completed or closed once the investigation had run its course and disciplinary processes concluded, but procedures were being repeatedly flouted to meet the monthly statistical targets.
Maharaj said offending police officers were “getting away with murder” and the investigators told him about allegedly being put under pressure by supervisors to record cases as completed, without referring them to the National Prosecution Authority.
“Investigators said they faced a moral dilemma when cases are lodged as ‘completed’ and the family making inquiries about court dates,” he said.
According to Maharaj the cases of torture were recorded as assault on the Ipid register and he did not understand the reasons the investigative officers deviated from procedure.
“Investigators reported that often murder, torture and rape never get to the DPP (director of public prosecutions) or in some instances, DPP queries are not attended to,” he added.