STATION COMMANDER SLAPS PREGNANT COP

MBABANE – A station commander of a police station is alleged to have slapped a pregnant officer in the face.

It has been established that the commander thought the woman was asleep during a nightshift and awakened her with a slap. The well-known head of the police station is said to have driven to the station to supervise the nightshift and found the woman, understood to be carrying triplets, appearing to him to be asleep. Relatives to the police officer said an ultrasound scan showed that she was carrying triplets. The Times SUNDAY has learnt that her husband is also a police officer. Her husband is reportedly angry with the station commander for allegedly hitting his wife. Investigations unearthed that the alleged assault traumatised the female police officer as she had not expected her supervisor to slap her.

Health problems

There are fears that her stress may cause health problems, it has been revealed. The woman chose not to open a criminal case. Instead, she reported the matter to the station commander’s superiors. Stephen Dlamini, the Hhohho Police Regional Commissioner was entrusted with the responsibility to handle the matter. His rank is assistant commissioner. The woman’s name and that of the station commander cannot be disclosed pending the internal police enquiry into the incident. Inspector Nosipho Mnguni, the Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer, said the matter was being handled internally as no case had been opened against the station commander. She said the regional commissioner was trying to establish facts of the matter. Mnguni mentioned that he had already engaged both parties to find out what really transpired at the police station.

“I can confirm the matter was reported to the Hhohho Regional Police Commissioner, who’s presently handling the matter internally,” she said. Section 49 (1) (b) (iv) of the Police Service Act of 2018 states that a police officer commits a disciplinary offence if that officer assaults or indecently assaults another officer. Section 49 (1) (c) (iii) states that an officer commits a disciplinary offence if he or she sleeps on duty without an authority or reasonable cause. A relative to the woman who was allegedly assaulted said the couple was not prepared to entertain media questions as they were still dealing with the incident and its aftermath. Asked why they were not opening a criminal case, the relative mentioned that the couple felt it was prudent to first engage the police superiors before taking further action against the station commander.

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