Police in the ||Kharas Region have launched an investigation into serious allegations of assault at the hands of officers, as reported by offenders detained at Aroab holding cells. 

||Kharas Police Commander, Commissioner Marius Katamila, says the investigation, involving affidavits taken from offenders who allege police assault and apparent witnesses, is almost 80% complete.

Photos of the alleged injuries sustained by the offenders have been circulating on social media.

The photos, Commissioner Katamila says, appear to have been posted to Facebook by the offenders themselves, using a cellphone alleged to have been smuggled into the holding cells. 

"Allegedly, the inmates were assaulted by the station commander and a few of his staff members. The same photos that circulated on social media also reached my attention, and the very same day they reached my attention, we sent our police conduct and investigation subdivision from Keetmans to go and investigate these allegations. Eight cases total have been levelled against the police by the inmate, varying from common assault grievous bodily harm (GBH), two cases of assault GBH, and six cases of common assault. Equally, the  police have also levelled seven cases against the police."

The Commissioner shared that the clash between the offenders and the police officers is believed to have been triggered by the alleged smuggling of contraband, including cannabis, mandrax tablets, and cellphones, into the holding cells.

"We had an inmate, one Elton Kooper, who requested to make a phone call. He was granted the opportunity to make a phone call, but in the process, he allegedly got into loggerheads with the station commander; they exchanged words, and Elton ran out of the office, grabbed some stones, and damaged some of the windows in the charge office. He was forcefully put back, and in the process of the police taking him back, the other inmates also retaliated. The police officers were thrown with water, and there are allegations of  police officers using pepper spray; some were armed with batons. There was basically some small fight between the police and inmates."

Investigations, Katamila says, are expected to be completed by next week. 

"Police officers do not have the right to assault people in custody, and the same principle applies: those in custody do not have the right to retaliate against police officers. So at this point in time, I would rather stay  clear from saying who is responsible and who is guilty; let the law take its course."

Upon completion of the investigations, the dockets opened by both the offenders and the police against one another are to be forwarded to the Prosecutor General's office for decision.