SAPS 496 : Released

This post is another "just the basic facts", without comment. Last year I was criminally charged. The police immediately made it clear to me that the charges could not be withdrawn. However, the moment the investigation got under way, they suggested that the statements were suspect. I asked an officer for copies, but the request was denied. I then put the request to a detective. The request was again denied. I met with the senior public prosecutor. She signed permission to release the statements. I went to fetch them. A very nervous officer stopped the senior public prosecutor -- however, he granted me access to the statements. The file was now open -- but I didn't get to read it. The police then referred me to their website to request release. The website wouldn't work. I asked my accusers for the statements. I received no reply. An officer promised then to prepare me a SAPS 512, a formal request form. Finally I put my signature to a SAPS 512. A month after that, the request was refused. Some context: as a result of these statements, I was criminally charged. I was questioned, fingerprinted, mug-shotted -- and handed a rather serious SAPS 496: Released on Warning (here pictured). A date was set for trial in Court 15 at Caledon Square. But two days before trial, the public prosecutor threw out the charges, on the basis that there was "no reasonable prospect" of showing any wrongdoing. OBSERVATION: I was charged a second time, but the prosecutor again threw out the charges, on the grounds that they were "baseless". The second docket then went missing. One of my accusers made several  accusations since, in writing. I advised them to report to the police.

NOTE: With renewed interest in this post in March 2018, it now seems that there were no statements, as one reckons statements. The police's Cluster reported that there was no basis whatsoever on which to charge me. Not even false statements.