AN Ekurhuleni metro police officer will spend 17 years behind bars for murder and attempted murder.
The South Gauteng High Court, sitting in Palmridge on March 19, sentenced 44-year-old Petros Khazamula Tibana to 12 year for murder and five years for attempted murder.
The sentence follows an IPID investigation into the shooting to death of 24-year-old Sabelo Sibisi and the shooting and injury of 25-year-old Lebo Ramokgopa in Tembisa in December 2012. The accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
On 23 December 2012 the Tibana was drinking at Winters Place, a tavern in Jiyane Section in Tembisa. There was an argument over money between the officer and other patrons after which the Tibana went to his vehicle.
He took out his firearm and shot randomly in the street in the direction of the people he had argued with. Two bystanders were shot, one passed away on his arrival at Tembisa Hospital and another was admitted in a critical condition.
The case went on trial at the South Gauteng High Court in Palm Ridge from March 10-12 and the accused pleaded guilty to both charges.
