Ten policemen from the Cato Manor-based organised crime unit will be spending time with their lawyer this week, drafting a response to threats to suspend them.
‘I think we will definitely be heading for court,” said their lawyer, Carl van der Merwe, yesterday.
He confirmed that the 10 policemen had been served with notices of intention to suspend them on Friday.
This comes as they move offices on the instruction of Hawks head Lieutenant-General Anwa Dramat, who has effectively shut down the unit because of allegations that some of its members formed a “death squad”, shooting and killing suspects.
The Mercury understands that those served with the notices are unit head Colonel Willie Olivier, captains Anton Lockem and Neville Eva, warrant officers Ajith Ganesh, Eric Nel, “Mac” Makhanya, Mossie Mostert, “Paddy” Padayachee and Shaun Stoltz, and Sergeant Raymond Lee.
The allegations against them relate to the use of “excessive force” during incidents in which suspects were shot and killed in the past four years.
Hawks provincial head General Johan Booysen, who is in charge of the organised crime unit, was served with a notice on February 12 of intention to suspend him.
Sources said he was accused of failing to act on information implicating members under his command in serious misconduct regarding excessive use of force and general unlawfulness.
The allegation relates specifically to the shooting of taxi boss Bongani Mkhize in February 2009. Police alleged he had opened fire on them on Umgeni Road and officers from Cato Manor and the national intervention unit returned fire.
A source said the allegations against Olivier and Ganesh related to a shooting at Cato Ridge in 2009 when a gang, allegedly on its way to rob a supermarket, was intercepted by police and a shootout ensued. Four suspects were shot dead.
An Independent Complaints Directorate docket was sent to the director of public prosecutions, who declined to prosecute anyone.
The allegations of the existence of a death squad emanated from a weekend newspaper report late last year.
