FORMER PINETOWN policeman, Logan Packaree, believes that the battle he has fought for nine years is almost over after the news that two men, who allegedly shot him, have been arrested.
One of the men is alleged to be a police reservist.
Packaree survived after he was shot seven times, in the chest, leg, and abdomen. The bullets ruptured one of his kidneys, a lung and liver.
He claims that it was an organised hit as he knew some of the top cops’ dirty laundry and wanted to expose them.
Packaree said last Friday, two men were arrested by the Durban Special Task Force and detectives of the provincial task team.
He told the Highway Mail that two men were arrested in Klaarwater and Ekuphumeleleni in Savannah Park.
KwaZulu-Natal spokesman, Jay Naicker said in their records, only one man was arrested and they cannot confirm that he was a police reservist.
Packaree was shot on 27 September 2005 in Savannah Park by two men he knew very well as he once worked with one of them,. He was in hospital for 32 days.
He told the Highway Mail that he had a tipped off about a hijacked car two years after he left the police force.
“I approached my former colleagues and they ask me to assist them.
“On that night we met at a garage in Shallcross and we used the Condor I was driving to get to the scene and there were four of us in the car.
“We retrieved that stolen car and went back to the garage.
“When I was on my way home I stopped behind my former colleague’s car at a stop street.
“A white sedan pulled up next to my car but I did not take any notice, I opened the window because I knew the occupants.
“One of them was armed with an automatic rifle and pointed it at me.
Packaree said at first he thought it was just a joke as he used to joke around with firearms.
“He then started shooting at me, the car had 20 bullet holes and I was hit by seven of them,” said Packaree.
He added that he had been through hell trying to get justice as no one wanted to assist him and his docket was untouched for years.
“I have been to Pretoria, NPA and Bheki Cele’s offices fighting this battle.”
He said new detectives were assigned to investigate his case in 2008 after he compiled his own docket with a private investigator and gave it to a top official in Pretoria.
“I have been through hell as in 2010 between March and June, false cases were opened against me.”
One of the men who he claims was arrested for the shooting, is reported to be a police reservist but Packaree claims that he was a bogus police reservist.
It is alleged that police recovered a 9mm Norinco that was reported stolen in Lamontville, live rounds and magazines, R86 700 counterfeit money, shotgun rounds, police bullet proof vests, police radio and charger, a black silencer, police pepper spray, police pocket book and crime scene investigators jacket in the police reservist’s house.
Naicker added that he had no records that the man was arrested in connection with Packaree’s attempted murder. “I know that he was arrested for possession of counterfeit money, police bullet proof vest and an unlicensed firearm.”
