Media darling Pabi Moloi’s acrimonious separation from her estranged “husband” Ruan Adams has come back to punch holes in her pocket.
Adams is suing Moloi and Police Minister Bheki Cele for R1-million for wrongful arrest.
This after she got him nabbed by the police for allegedly violating the protection order she had obtained against him.
Moloi, who presents Power Life on Power FM, is the first respondent in the suit while Cele is the second respondent.
In the lawsuit that he filed in the Pretoria high court, Adams, who paid lobola for Moloi but broke up with her about three years ago, said on or about the seventh day of March this year, Moloi set the law in motion by opening an unfounded criminal case of the violation of a protection order at the Olievenhoutbosch police station against him.
When laying the criminal charges and making a statement to members of the police, he said Moloi, who is arguably the richest black female celebrityin South Africa with six properties in Joburg’s leafy suburbs, identified him as the alleged perpetrator.
He said on the same day, Moloi, her mother and the police arrived at his home in the evening in a police vehicle.
About four cops forcefully gained access into his home and wrongfully and unlawfully arrested and detained him at Olievenhoutbosch police station for six hours.
He said when he later appeared in the Pretoria magistrate’s court, the case did not proceed as there was no case against him.
“The first defendant opened an unfounded case of violating a protection order against the plaintiff, which case was not supported by any evidence and did not meet the required standards for the opening of a protection order violation case, which leads to arrest of the perpetrator.
“By the first defendant’s conducts of opening an unfounded case against the plaintiff, the first defendant violated the plaintiff’s constitutional rights and
furthermore, by the arrest and further detainment, the police violated the plaintiff’s rights thereto.
“The second defendant effected arrest without investigating the facts of the complaint lodged by the first defendant and or without properly analysing the
evidence presented to them by the first defendant when setting the law in motion (sic),” read the papers.
Adams said Moloi’s actions amounted to malicious proceedings against him, and were made mala fide (in bad faith).
As a result of his arrest, he said, he suffered deprivation of physical liberty, public humiliation, emotional, physical, psychological stress, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
He also said during the time of his arrest, detainment or incarceration, he was harassed, humiliated and threatened by the members of the South African Police Service.
He said the police had a duty to ensure that prior to an arrest and detainment a proper and full investigation of the alleged crime is carried out, and that the burden of proof to show that a crime has been committed rests with them.
“As a result of the defendants’ wrongful conduct and the sequelae of plaintiff’s injuries/damages caused by the setting of the law in motion by the first defendant, leading to the unlawful arrest, detention, and further detention of the plaintiff by the second defendant, and further the contumelia (insult), infringements of the plaintiff’s constitutional rights, plaintiff suffered damages in the total sum of
R1-million,” read the papers.
Adams’ lawyer, Lutendo Siphuma of SL Attorneys, declined to comment, saying the matter is sub judice.
