Justice Project threatens charges over Ekurhuleni drunk cop

While the City of Ekurhuleni has praised itself for swift action regarding an apparently drunk metro police officer, the matter is not over.

Although the cop has been suspended, Justice Project SA (JPSA) has warned it will press charges against the mayor of Ekurhuleni if he fails to hand the matter over to Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).

The municipality has said the matter is a “labour issue” and not a “criminal issue”.

In a video that went viral on social media on Wednesday, an Ekurhuleni metro cop appears intoxicated while sitting behind the wheel of a marked police vehicle.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘Drunken’ metro cop suspended

The video shows him being whisked away by a female colleague, after his firearm nearly fell out when his holster and belt came loose. The female officer took away his firearm before loading him into her vehicle.

The municipality released a statement on Wednesday saying it had suspended the officer with immediate effect for being “allegedly drunk in full uniform” as seen in the footage.

It also confirmed that two other officers on the scene, including a supervisor, were suspended pending an investigation.

The statement read: “It is alleged that there are two other officials who defeated the ends of justice and aided the metro traffic officer to escape from the scene without being processed. The taking of blood samples was never done.”

City spokesperson Themba Gadebe said no arrests had been made because “it’s a labour issue and not a criminal issue”. He said action would only be taken after investigations into the matter had been concluded.

Unmoved by the suspensions, JPSA chairperson Howard Dembovsky said the matter was supposed to be handled by Ipid, not the municipality. He said if it was not, he would lay charges against the mayor for “defeating the ends of justice”.

“They are entirely wrong that it is a labour issue. This is a criminal issue. They [the officers] should have been arrested, because the video clearly shows the officer was intoxicated and armed.

“It also shows a woman [in police uniform] taking a firearm from him. What she should have done is taken him straight to the police station, registered a docket and laid charges for drunk driving, drunk in public and being in possession of a firearm while intoxicated.

“This shows the height of hypocrisy. [The City of Ekurhuleni] is welcome to hold disciplinary hearings but the fact is that Ipid investigates the police themselves.”

The Citizen was unable to reach Ipid for comment.

– jenniffero@citizen.co.za

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