Drug raid on wrong address to cost taxpayer R70K

Pretoria - Mixing up addresses during a police drug raid - and accusing an innocent man of being a Nigerian drug lord - will cost the taxpayer more than R70 000 in damages.

The victim, Benoni resident Sean Early, 54, who owns a plumbing business, instituted a R116 000 damages claim against the minister of police.

The Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday awarded him R10 441 for damage to his property, more specifically his front gate and electric fence, damaged during the raid. He also received R60 000 for the damage to his good name and reputation.

The minister of police, in his official capacity, was also ordered to pay Early’s legal costs.

Early told the Pretoria News he would not have been so livid with the police if they had simply apologised and offered to pay for the damages to his property. “They have not even come back to me to acknowledge their mistake. They did not even bother to return my calls,” Early said.

The mistake was the result of the police raiding the wrong address. Early lived at 44 4th Avenue, Northmead, Benoni. The raid was supposed to take place at 44 4th Street

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ambroseg1 said:

Cannot even get a simple address right. And people wonder why the Gupta case is being bungled.

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f2wohf said:

At least, this house and owner are cleared now.

Proceeding by elimination is also a way to do things.

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