Claims by a Rundle Street nightclub owner that police have not responded to a complaint about counterfeit $50 notes needed to be investigated urgently, Shadow Police Minster Rob Lucas said today.
“The nightclub owner has told me that three weeks ago a patron had passed two counterfeit $50 notes at his nightclub. The owner then spoke to a nearby nightclub in Rundle Street and found that a young female had been removed from the premises for trying to pass a counterfeit $50 note,” Mr. Lucas said.
The nightclub owner maintains that having called SAPOL about the issue he was told SAPOL would not come to investigate the complaint, but he would have to go to a police station to lodge his objection. He also maintains that when he asked, ‘Wasn’t this important enough to send a police officer out?’ that he was told ‘no.’
Mr. Lucas said the nightclub owner maintains he had security cameras operating and if police had come to investigate at the time, they could have viewed vision of the possible offender on his computer’s hard drive.
“Sadly it is now too late to investigate this incident properly as the security vision has been taped over and no longer exists,” Mr. Lucas said.
If these claims are confirmed by SAPOL, the Minister for Police should explain publicly the reasons why SAPOL would not visit the nightclub to view the security vision, take a statement from the owner and then investigate the complaint.
“The Minister for Police should also give the public an assurance that failure to investigate the complaint had nothing to do with the lack of resources available to police.
“Whilst it would now appear to be too late to investigate this particular case, the Minister must provide assurances that any future cases will be properly investigated,” Mr. Lucas said.