LAWYERS at the Marikana Commission of Inquiry yesterday accused the SA Police Service (SAPS) of lying and concocting the evidence that they presented to the commission.
At the Marikana Commission yesterday‚ evidence leader Mathew Chaskalson‚ SC‚ said proof had been unearthed that police had expertly tampered with the evidence they presented‚ including deleting some video evidence from a computer hard drive.
Chaskalson said this pointed to a deliberate attempt at “skewing” the version of events of what had occurred on August 16 last year‚ when 34 miners were killed at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in Rustenburg‚ in SAPS’ favour.
Fellow evidence leader Geoff Budlender‚ SC‚ said the evidence leaders had found certain documents that the police had previously said did not exist.
“This is a serious allegation‚” Budlender said.
“We do not make this statement lightly. The SAPS’ version as described in their initial evidence to the commission is seemingly not the truth.
“But we realise we must give the SAPS the opportunity to explain what we see for there might be a reasonable explanation.”
He then asked for a postponement to allow the SAPS to consult with their legal teams and for evidence leaders to have time to gather more information.
Commission chair Judge Ian Farlam granted a postponement until Wednesday.
“We are adjourning to address these concerns … they are not the findings or the results. These concerns are matters that require more investigation‚” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Scott‚ who compiled the evidence for the SAPS‚ testified under oath that he had not tampered with the evidence and that he did not know of anyone else who had.
Speaking outside the hearings yesterday‚ commission spokesperson Tshepo Mahlangu said the evidence leaders would choose a course of action once the investigation into their allegations was over.
An advocate for the police‚ Ishmael Semenya, said he wanted to put it on record that all files and hard-drives currently with evidence-leaders had been handed to them by the SAPS.
“It is unfair to say SAPS have been untruthful in any way‚” he said. — gokoc@bdlive.co.za
Marikana evidence ‘tampered with’
At the Marikana Commission yesterday‚ evidence leader Mathew Chaskalson‚ SC‚ said proof had been unearthed that police had expertly tampered with the evidence they presented‚ including deleting some video evidence from a computer hard drive.
Chaskalson said this pointed to a deliberate attempt at “skewing” the version of events of what had occurred on August 16 last year‚ when 34 miners were killed at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in Rustenburg‚ in SAPS’ favour.
Fellow evidence leader Geoff Budlender‚ SC‚ said the evidence leaders had found certain documents that the police had previously said did not exist.
“This is a serious allegation‚” Budlender said.
“We do not make this statement lightly. The SAPS’ version as described in their initial evidence to the commission is seemingly not the truth.
“But we realise we must give the SAPS the opportunity to explain what we see for there might be a reasonable explanation.”
He then asked for a postponement to allow the SAPS to consult with their legal teams and for evidence leaders to have time to gather more information.
Commission chair Judge Ian Farlam granted a postponement until Wednesday.
“We are adjourning to address these concerns … they are not the findings or the results. These concerns are matters that require more investigation‚” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan Scott‚ who compiled the evidence for the SAPS‚ testified under oath that he had not tampered with the evidence and that he did not know of anyone else who had.
Speaking outside the hearings yesterday‚ commission spokesperson Tshepo Mahlangu said the evidence leaders would choose a course of action once the investigation into their allegations was over.
An advocate for the police‚ Ishmael Semenya, said he wanted to put it on record that all files and hard-drives currently with evidence-leaders had been handed to them by the SAPS.
“It is unfair to say SAPS have been untruthful in any way‚” he said. — gokoc@bdlive.co.za
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