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Gqeberha cop in court for kidnapping and assault

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A Gqeberha police officer appeared in the city's Magistrates Court on Friday on a slew of charges including kidnapping, torture, and assault.

The charges against Warrant Officer Severiano Blundin stem from a R1.2m civil matter against police minister Bheki Cele, where Blundin is accused of the kidnapping, unlawful arrest, and assault of Alvado Francis, Sherwin Eckhardt, and Keanu Arends in March 2019.

Francis and Eckhard claim they were taken to the parking lot of the Algoa Park police station under the pretense that the Gang Unit wanted to question them.

Francis alleges that this is one of the places where Blundin assaulted him.

When the case resumed on Friday, Francis was under cross-examination by defense attorney Advocate Jason Thysse.

Thysse put it to the witness that he had allegedly threatened to kill his client and that he had put out a hit on Blundin's life.

Francis denied both allegations.

He admit that he had previously been arrested on several cases including murder, attempted murder, and other gang-related crimes.

Francis further conceded that he was aware that Blundin had registered a case of intimidation against him.

Whilst in the dock, Francis stated that Blundin and all police officers were liabilities for gangsters.

Referring to the night of the alleged assault, Thysse told Francis that it was highly unlikely that Blundin would have assaulted him in the parking lot of a police station, dressed in his full police uniform.

Blundin has previously been subjected to an internal disciplinary hearing and cleared of any wrongdoing.

The case was remanded to 13 September.