A Strandfontein dad has been left traumatised and confused by Lentegeur cops who arrested him for seeking help at the police station.
Nino Knotze, 35, says he was thrown into a cell with 20 skollies who robbed him after he was arrested for contravening lockdown regulations.
The father of three says he went to the station on Friday to seek help for his sick uncle.
His diabetic uncle has been stuck in Worcester without medication during the nationwide lockdown that started on 27 March.
“My uncle, Paul Campbell, 49, has been in Worcester since before the lockdown and he was unable to come home and was without medication,” he explains.
“I went to his house in Westridge to get the tablets and his documents and went to enquire at Lentegeur Police Station about whether or not I could get a permit but they told me no.
“They said he was required to go to the local police station on his side.”
BAFFLING: Nino, 35, says he refuses to pay the R1500 fine
Nino says he left the cop shop but while still on the property, he called his uncle and informed him what the police officer said.
“I just got off the phone and turned back to get clarity on something from the officer when one captain shouted that I must be arrested and he will make an example of me.
“I was shocked and confused and kept asking if they were serious. I was waiting for Leon Schuster to arrive. I really thought I was being pranked,” the baffled dad says.
“They put me in the cells with 20 other men, some of them were skollies.
“After the police officer made me empty my pockets, he came to me in the cell and gave me my keys, the tablets and my cellphone and the skollies robbed me.”
His wife Janine, 34, became worried when she could not reach her husband and called the station, but was told he was not there.
Nino says after nearly five hours in the cell, he was released and issued with a R1500 fine for being in contravention of the Disaster Management Act.
“I could not believe I was being arrested for something so ridiculous, so I checked the regulations and it clearly says you can leave your home to seek an essential service. The police are an essential service.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk was unable to comment on the arrest.
Nino refuses to pay the fine as it will result in a criminal
record.
“I just want to know how many other people have they done this to?”
“I am a father of three with a daughter who has chronic lung disease and not only did they arrest me for nothing, they put me in a cell with so many people where if one of them had the Coronavirus it would have been easily spread,” he says.