A Chinese national was recently taken into police custody after failing to renew his vehicle’s registration.
Alex Liu from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, spoke on behalf of the 65-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous.
“The man was on his way to work when he was stopped by police in Gutenberg Road. They apparently noticed his car’s licence had expired and proceeded to handcuff him and take him to the police station,” Mr Liu explained.
Under the watchful eye of six police officers, the man was eventually fined because his car’s licence had expired, and he was released from custody.
“I accept that he had to be fined, but was it necessary to treat him like a criminal?” Mr Liu asked.
The man’s fingerprints and photograph were also taken at the police station.
While Mr Liu questioned the necessity of police officers taking the businessman into custody, Captain Shooz Magudulela, police spokesperson, said the officers were within their rights.
“If a traffic officer is not available, police can charge a person for any traffic violation. Police use a J534 register and if the register is not available, the person has to be taken to the charge office where other documents are completed.
“Any arrested person is handcuffed and loaded in a police van, before being taken to the police station, unless the police have the necessary documentation to complete to issue a ticket,” Captain Magudulela explained.
He further said if people thought they were being victimised by police, they should report it to the police station commander, to ensure a departmental investigation could be conducted.
