![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2013/09/saps.jpg)
NELSPRUIT – The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thulani Ntobela has refuted claims of alleged dockets found in an unused building in Middelburg.
This comes after the police were contacted by a journalist from the Middelburg Observer, a local newspaper ,requesting a comment from the police with regard to documents that appeared to them as dockets and exhibits discovered in that building.
The building was utilised by the disbanded Serious and Violent Crime Unit (SVC) and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence Unit (FCS).
The journalist was requested to allow the police time to verify the claims with the relevant officials as the police do not possess the keys to the building.
On Friday , the relevant officials together with the journalist converged at the building to verify the claims and it was discovered that the documents as said to be dockets were only files containing names of wanted suspects, not dockets. According to the police,the files used to belong to SVC’s Tracing Unit and they did not in anyway contain sensitive information and did not disclose part of any investigation.
The police also said that the alleged exhibits had already been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory and brought back with findings.
“We acknowledge that evidence used needs to be disposed accordingly and this was regrettably an oversight on our part.
We thank the people who discovered these items and informed us. Due process is underway to determine how these items were left unattended and not disposed off,” said Ntobela.
Ntobela further said that the police reaffirms their commitment in working together with the media and also encourage accurate, positive and verification of facts before reporting.