THREE Vereeniging policemen who allegedly assaulted a lawyer outside his home five months ago have been dismissed.
The men cannot be publicly named yet because they could also face criminal charges as the lawyer reported the matter to the police.
Police spokesman Teboho Lephoto confirmed the dismissals, which came into force after an internal disciplinary hearing.
The police officers, a lieutenant-colonel and two reservist warrant officers, allegedly assaulted prominent Vereeniging lawyer Thomas Mahlobogoane on June 17.
Lephoto said that after the assault, police launched their own internal investigations into the officers' conduct.
"All relevant disciplinary steps were followed during the process, which resulted in the dismissal of the officers on Friday," Lephoto said.
Mahlobogoane said he had learnt through the grapevine the trio had been dismissed.
"Nothing formal had been communicated to me. I have only received a letter from the ICD last month that my case had been sent to the director of public prosecutions for a decision," he said.
He had since laid assault charges against the three police officers.
Mahlobogoane said that on June 17 he was driving home when he was stopped outside the gate of his house by a VW Golf with bright police stripes.
"Inside the vehicle there were three police officers who asked me why I was driving with the car headlights switched off," he said.
"I told them that they were wrong, my lights were switched on. One of them handcuffed me and they assaulted me.
"I was defenceless with my hands cuffed from behind. They swore at me, kicked and punched me. They even called me a k****r," Mahlobogoane said at the time.
He received stitches to his face after the alleged assault.
During the assault, he said a police van driven by two officers approached them. Mahlobogoane said he thought the officers in the bakkie would rescue him.
"Instead, they just looked at me and the three officers told them everything was in order. They then drove off. The three then continued to assault me."
After realising that he was a lawyer, the officers tried to apologise and asked him to lie to his doctor that he had fallen to the ground.
Policemen dismissed over lawyer's assault
THREE Vereeniging policemen who allegedly assaulted a lawyer outside his home five months ago have been dismissed.
The men cannot be publicly named yet because they could also face criminal charges as the lawyer reported the matter to the police.
Police spokesman Teboho Lephoto confirmed the dismissals, which came into force after an internal disciplinary hearing.
The police officers, a lieutenant-colonel and two reservist warrant officers, allegedly assaulted prominent Vereeniging lawyer Thomas Mahlobogoane on June 17.
Lephoto said that after the assault, police launched their own internal investigations into the officers' conduct.
"All relevant disciplinary steps were followed during the process, which resulted in the dismissal of the officers on Friday," Lephoto said.
Mahlobogoane said he had learnt through the grapevine the trio had been dismissed.
"Nothing formal had been communicated to me. I have only received a letter from the ICD last month that my case had been sent to the director of public prosecutions for a decision," he said.
He had since laid assault charges against the three police officers.
Mahlobogoane said that on June 17 he was driving home when he was stopped outside the gate of his house by a VW Golf with bright police stripes.
"Inside the vehicle there were three police officers who asked me why I was driving with the car headlights switched off," he said.
"I told them that they were wrong, my lights were switched on. One of them handcuffed me and they assaulted me.
"I was defenceless with my hands cuffed from behind. They swore at me, kicked and punched me. They even called me a k****r," Mahlobogoane said at the time.
He received stitches to his face after the alleged assault.
During the assault, he said a police van driven by two officers approached them. Mahlobogoane said he thought the officers in the bakkie would rescue him.
"Instead, they just looked at me and the three officers told them everything was in order. They then drove off. The three then continued to assault me."
After realising that he was a lawyer, the officers tried to apologise and asked him to lie to his doctor that he had fallen to the ground.
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