Evander Court reserves bail judgment for SAPS trio in murder case
Three eMbalenhle police officers accused of murder remain behind bars after their bail judgment was reserved in the Evander Magistrate’s Court.
The Evander Magistrate’s Court reserved the bail judgment for three eMbalenhle SAPS members regarding a murder case on August 28.
Constables Ina Mahlangu (34), Lucky Shabangu (35) and Musa Hlanze (32) were arrested on August 26 and face charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.
Their arrests followed what police referred to as “the mysterious death” of a 33-year-old man after a car crash in the early hours of August 17 at Ext 26, eMbalenhle. One driver was somehow transported to the hospital and certified dead on arrival. The victim has not yet been identified.
During their bail application, the officers submitted sworn affidavits through their attorney and stated they would plead not guilty. They claimed they were not a flight risk, had no pending cases against them and did not know the witness in the case. Their attorney argued that the accused were suitable candidates for bail because the State did not have a strong case.
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However, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigator disputed this, saying there was a strong case and that the accused were flight risks. He said the trio knew the witnesses and had allegedly threatened one, a community member who owns the property where the alleged offence occurred.
According to the IPID, the three constables were sent to attend to the accident. On arrival, they suspected one driver was drunk and decided to take him to the Evander Hospital for a blood test.
It is alleged that on the way, the man said he had forgotten his license in his vehicle, so the officers returned to the accident scene. The investigator said the deceased ran away, and two officers chased him on foot while a third used the police van.
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They allegedly caught him at a residence, assaulted him with bricks, and attempted to put him in their vehicle. When he was too heavy to lift, they called for an ambulance.
The homeowner reportedly asked the officers what was happening, but was threatened with arrest. After the deceased was taken to the hospital, the accused allegedly returned and removed the bricks used in the assault.
The bricks have not been recovered, but a gun cartridge was found at the scene and sent for ballistic analysis. The IPID also alleged that the officers opened an inquest docket instead of a murder docket, which constituted defeating the ends of justice.
The investigator stated that if granted bail, the accused could interfere with the investigation and threaten witnesses. Based on this testimony, the State opposed bail. The court postponed the case to September 4 for a bail judgment. The three constables remain in custody.
