Cape lawyer Michael Bagraim plans to challenge the suspension of provincial CPF chairman Hanif Loonat in court.
|||Cape Town - Cape Town labour lawyer Michael Bagraim plans to challenge the police in court for suspending provincial Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman Hanif Loonat.
He has offered his services pro bono and plans to argue that the suspension was illegal and should be overturned.
Loonat was suspended by Western Cape police commissioner Lietenant-General Arno Lamoer on July 4. He was charged with “alleged misconduct” for comments made to the media about police inefficiency at Athlone station, as well as instances of gangsters paying off police officers in various clusters on the Cape Flats.
Bagraim argues that such a suspension cannot be meted out as a form of punishment while an investigation into the charges is ongoing.
Lamoer said an internal investigation into the charges would be completed by the end of the month, and Loonat responded with a call for an independent investigation. Bagraim sent a query to Lamoer to clarify the exact reasons for the suspension.
“It appears - by the police’s own admission - that Loonat is being suspended as punishment for comments he previously made to the media.
“Now, a suspension can only be meted out if it can be proven that for Loonat to retain his seat would directly interfere with the functionality of the police.
“An example of this would be concealing evidence or intervening with a witness to undermine a criminal investigation,” Bagraim said, adding that the suspension seemed counter-intuitive because it would likely only aggravate Loonat to speak out more vehemently against the police in the province.
The Cape Argus asked Lamoer to elaborate on the reasons for the suspension. He said he would not comment on the case before the investigation was completed and the findings were published.
Loonat wants his suspension overturned to “clear his name”, but says he has no intention of carrying on as CPF chairman if he succeeds.
He said his commitment had always been to the communities in crime-ridden areas around Cape Town and that he would continue to speak out against police corruption and inefficiency by launching an independent watchdog organisation.
Meanwhile, some of Loonat’s colleagues in the forum, community members in gang-infested neighbourhoods and People Against Gangsterism and Drugs have rallied to support him.
Former Athlone CPF chairman Cassiem Christians said: “Loonat’s (criticism and exposure of inefficiency at Athlone police station) has caused the problems to be addressed. It would never have happened had he not fought in the way he did. For that the Athlone community expresses its gratitude to Loonat and will support him in his attempt to vindicate himself.”
daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za
Cape Argus