Cop claims of ill treatment

A POLICE officer has cried foul over the ill treatment by one of his superiors, including being sworn at and punched in the face.
The officer claimed to have been serving his duties at the Boroko police station last Friday.
He claimed that he was speaking on the interest of  an innocent child when he was assaulted physically and verbally before he was locked up while in his police uniform until Wednesday.
He said a husband of a detainee had brought their daughter, aged about two, to stay with her mother in custody but the officer refused, stating his reasons as the unhealthy state of cell blocks.
The officer, who declined to be named, claimed that as a result of the refusal, the angry husband stormed off and returned with the senior officer.
He said his superior entered the cell and swore at him and assaulted him by punching him three times in the face.
He said he was denied bail for 24 hours and was not able to access medication for bruises sustained on his upper lips, nose and swollen left lower eyebrow that was bleeding.
The officer also revealed that more than 30 detainees witnessed what had transpired and were not pleased with the action of the senior officer.
In the meantime, the senior officer has denied the allegations, claiming that it was an internal matter and would be solved at that level.
He said the officer had been “obviously drunk” and had assaulted a new detainee who had been heavily bleeding.
Another officer noticed the exchange and reported the matter to the senior officer.
The senior officer said the officer was a problematic officer who was once dismissed in his previous post at Popondetta for similar case and recently reinstated at the Boroko station.
He has been suspended for 21days.