Rules broken as Lenasia kidnapping suspect transferred from jail cell to hospital

A law firm has sought urgent clarity from the officials at the Sandton Police Station surrounding the unofficial transfer of a dangerous suspect allegedly involved in a kidnapping and extortion case.

The suspect, who cannot be named as he has not yet appeared in court, was arrested on Friday night after a warrant of arrest was issued.

According to the law firm’s letter, which is in the possession of The Citizen, the suspect did not follow official protocol to be transferred from the Sandton Police Station to a hospital for treatment.

The law firm Ian Levitt Attorney’s and Conveyances said the arrest of the suspect, who is related to the chairperson of the Lenasia Community Policing Forum (CPF), was supported by a J50 warrant of arrest application to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.

The law firm said it had been instructed to execute a watching brief on behalf of the complainant in the matter.

“Upon perusal of the complainant’s statement, you will see that the offences levelled against the accused in this matter are severe and life threatening. It has come to our attention that [the suspect] has opportunistically deviated from the correct criminal procedure in that he deceitfully requested urgent medical attention and somehow, within a span of a couple of hours, managed to be transferred from Sandton Police Station to a private hospital in Sandton for alleged treatment,” the letter states.

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The letter also stated that in order for the suspect to have been transferred for urgent medical reasons to a hospital, a senior police member must contact a state doctor to examine the prisoner.

“The medical practitioner must satisfy himself that the prisoner needs to be admitted into hospital and that should the prisoner be kept within the confinements of a police cell it would severely impact the prisoner’s health. The medical practitioner must furnish a report or medical certificate, duly signed by him/her, justifying the transfer of the prisoner to a hospital.”

“A senior member of the Saps must peruse the report and write a confirmation letter that he/she is satisfied with the transfer of the patient. The docket and occurrence book must reflect the prisoner’s complaints and any visible symptoms noticed by members of the Saps,” the law firm’s letter said.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda told The Citizen the suspect is alleged to have been involved in the R25 million extortion and intimidation case which emanated from the kidnapping of a Lenasia businessman who was later rescued by police earlier this year.

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