If police had done their jobs properly and checked the holding cells‚ the gruesome death of a teenager whose face was mutilated could have been prevented.The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid)‚ which conducted an investigation into circumstances around the death last month of 18-year-old Gerdo Karelse‚ has found that police lied about checking on two men sharing a holding cell in Beaufort West.Karelse was found with extensive injuries to his face when the holding cells were inspected. Unconfirmed reports said that his lips were missing and teeth were found lying scattered around him.Zuko Mguqgunthu‚ who had been sharing a cell with Karelse‚ is facing charges of murder and malicious damage to property.Ipid spokesman Robbie Raburabu told TMG Digital that police lied about having inspected the holding cells at the time of Karelse’s death – claiming they were checked by police who were not even at the station at the time.Court ruling against protest footage policy renders SABC firings unlawful: Solidarity“In terms of custody management‚ police are supposed to visit the cells on an hourly basis if there are prisoners in the cells. What this police officer had done is include people (police officers) that were not at the time (as) present at the station‚” Raburabu said.He added that‚ from Ipid’s perspective‚ the reports submitted by police were not factual.“This then makes it a transgression in terms of the police prescript. In terms of the prescript‚ there are supposed to be two officers that would do the hourly checks because no one is allowed to go to the cells alone‚” he said.Raburabu concluded that from the investigation it was clear that police had not performed the frequent checks and that it amounted to negligence.'Sugar daddies' and 'blessers': A threat to AIDS fight“It is possible that if the cells were visited more frequently‚ we can’t say that the assault would not have happened‚ but maybe the man could have been found in time and then taken for medical attention.“Our investigation is now complete and these are our recommendations to be submitted‚ it's now up to the police to discipline the member‚” he said.According to police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie‚ 29-year-old Mqungquthu is still in police custody.“The accused is still being detained awaiting the availability of a bed for psychiatric evaluation. He is scheduled to appear in the Beaufort West court on August 5‚” Pojie said.Pojie added that an internal investigation by the SAPS is complete and will be submitted to the provincial office for scrutiny. – TMG Digital..