Friday, March 08, 2013
Ousted Pistorius detective quits South African police
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The South African detective, pulled off the investigation of athletics star Oscar Pistorius for murder after it emerged he himself faces attempted murder charges, has resigned from the force, police said on Thursday.
Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, the first officer on the scene after the Valentine's Day shooting of Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was also criticised for mixing up key facts about the investigation at the "Blade Runner's" bail hearing.
Investigating officer Hilton Botha, the lead detective in the Oscar Pistorius murder case, sits in court during a break in court proceedings at the Pretoria Magistrates court, February 21, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings"He handed in his resignation yesterday and it was accepted with immediate effect," police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila told Reuters. "We are not going into the details."
Botha, a detective with 24 years experience, is accused of firing on a minibus taxi full of passengers in 2011 while pursuing a man accused of murdering a woman and disposing of her dismembered body down a drain, local media said.
The charges were withdrawn but reinstated on February 4, 10 days before Steenkamp was shot.
The incident has embarrassed the South African police who regularly come under fire for failing to reduce one of the highest crimes rates in the world and dispel perceptions of a force that is poorly trained.
Last week, eight policemen were arrested for tying a Mozambican taxi driver to the back of a vehicle and dragging him to the station. The video-recorded treatment of the man who later died shocked audiences around the world.
(Reporting by Peroshni Govender; Editing by Sophie Hares)
- China confident of sweeping aside their final opponents
- World No. 1 Nicol sinks Waters to reach British Open final
- Pandelela-Mun Yee and Yan Yee-Jun Hoong bag bronze medals in Mexico
- Koreans in the final despite Dong-keun’s loss
- Sweet revenge as Froch defeats Kessler
- Nico Rosberg revels in the rain as Mercedes stamp their mark
- Djokovic in Nadal’s path for French Open super eight
- Macdonald and Marques share the lead
- Demons lurk at Serena’s favourite place in the world
- Indiana bounce back against Miami to level series
- Revington: South Africa Test matches will be the final selection
- Sweet revenge as Froch defeats Kessler
- Kuchar takes one-shot lead into final round at Colonial
- Froch beats Kessler to retain IBF super middleweight title
- Kenny Perry stalks Senior PGA Championship title
- China confident of sweeping aside their final opponents
- Hafizh needs to step up a gear after coming in fifth
- Affendi brushes off hand injury to win CP130 race in Terengganu
- England-NZ second Test washed out
- Koreans in the final despite Dong-keun’s loss
RSS
