Mkhwanazi and subordinates sued for R10m for assault

Businessman says he was also detained illegally

- By Mawande AmaShabalala and Bongani Mdakane

A Mozambican businessman who was among three kidnapping victims allegedly tortured by cops under the command of KwaZulu-Natal police chief Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is demanding R10-million in damages from the provincial police commissioner and his colleagues.

Esmael Nangy has filed a lawsuit in the Pretoria High Court, demanding the staggering amount for unlawful arrest and torture. The suit will now run parallel to a criminal case he opened with the Hawks.

Nangy's wife has also opened a case with the Hawks against Mkhwanazi's disciples after she complained that they stole six Rolex wristwatches from the couple's Midstream estate home in Ekurhuleni during a raid when they were looking for evidence to incriminate Nangy in the kidnapping.