The Public Prosecution’s Special Investigation Unit’s head Nawaf Abdullah Hamza, confirmed that as part of ongoing investigation and verification of complaints lodged regarding complaints against torture and maltreatment.
The Unit, he said, continues its investigations by hearing testimonies from complainants; has already interrogated nine of them and, referred three cases to forensic doctors in order to examine them, in addition to questioning sixteen witnesses.
He added that in the light of the outcomes of these investigations, the Public Prosecution questioned fifteen accused persons and informed them of charges against them.
The Special Investigation Unit’s chief revealed that the unit received eleven new complaints during June 2012, pointing out that the accused person were summoned, and that investigation with them is still underway in order to quiz them on the charges made against them.
The unit had earlier referred one policeman to the High Criminal Court and demanded penalizing him in view of charges raised against him for having caused a permanent disability to a victim. The said court issued its verdict on the lawsuit on its session dated 25/6/2012 penalizing the policeman with five years’ imprisonment.
The Public Prosecution also referred three accused persons to the same court in two separate lawsuits and demanded penalizing them on charges of an assault which resulted in causing death. The court, during the same session, decided to change records and described the charge as premeditated murder.
The Public Prosecution referred last month two accused policemen to the High Criminal Court on charges of assault which resulted in causing death and also referred another policeman to the Lower Criminal Court on charges of physical assault.
The Special Investigation Unit’s chief said that the unit still exerts utmost efforts in order to finalize all pending lawsuits as soon as possible in compliance with international human rights standards and criminal justice, pointing out that, according to previous press statements, the Public Prosecution assures all citizens the right to directly lodge complaints to the unit at the Public Prosecution premises in order to take the necessary investigative actions in regard thereof.