White unionist claimed police tortured him

Press, 5 June 1982, Page 8

White unionist claimed police tortured him

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg The white South African trade union leader, Neil Aggett, said in a statement hours before he died in police custody in February that he had been assaulted and left bleeding by security police, according to newspapers.

The statement, reported to have been dictated to a policewoman on February 4, said that security police officers had slapped, punched and kicked him, and had given him electric shocks. ~ .'

It was published yesterday by the “Rand Daily Mail” newspaper and the South African Press Association.

The statement by Dr. Aggett, the first white to die in security police detention, is at the centre of a legal dispute between lawyers representing the Law and Order Minister (Mr Louis ie i..

Grange) and lawyers for Dr Aggett’s family. The Supreme Court at Pretoria, asked to rule on the admissibility of the statement as evidence in the inquest on Dr Aggett, has reserved judgment until dayThe statement said that on January 4. Dr Aggett was . interrogated by security police officers at Johannesburg’s security police headquarters. “I was interrogated by Lieutenant Whitehead, and every time that he asked me a question and .1 denied it, he accused me of calling him a liar,” the statement said. ■ "Then this sehalk (a railway police security sergeant) would assault me ... “He ... assaulted me with his fists by bitting me on the side of my temple and chest. He 1 also kicked with his knee . bn the side of my thigh. “This sehalk wore a watch which cut my right forearm

and it was bleeding. Later 'Z this sehalk went to wash off the blood that was bn him. X While I was assaulted by him he grabbed me by the scro- X turn and squeezed my testicles.” ' "

The statement also said - that Dr Aggett was given X electric shocks on the night * of January 29. X "... Lieutenant Whitehead Z blindfolded me with a towel. They made me sit down and ;; handcuffed me behind my '*■ back,” it said. - “I was shocked through the -< ■ handcuffs. I don’t know what they used to shock me. I was - shocked a few times. I have 2a scratch on my left pulse - (radial nerve) where L was X injured whilst being hand- »' cuffed.” <

Dr Aggett said in his state- ■ ment he had told a visiting magistrate on January 18 that he had been assaulted by security police officers. ' He also said he had not been seen by a doctor.