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Themba Hadebe / AP
Attempted murder charges against investigating officer Hilton Botha were reinstated Wednesday.
PRETORIA, South Africa -- The lead detective in Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius' murder case is himself facing attempted murder charges for opening fire on a minibus containing seven people in 2011, South African police said Thursday.
Hilton Botha, who took the stand against Pistorius at the Paralympic gold medalist's bail hearing this week, is due to appear in court in May, police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila said.
"Botha and two other policemen allegedly tried to stop a minibus taxi with seven people. They fired shots," Malila told Reuters.
The charges were provisionally withdrawn, but were reinstated on Wednesday - at the behest of the state prosecutor - after Botha had taken the stand against Pistorius in Pretoria's main magistrates court, he added.
The prosecution is challenging Oscar Pistorius' testimony about what happened on the night his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp was killed. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.
"We were informed yesterday that the charges will be re-instated," Malila said. "At this stage there are no plans to take him off the Pistorius case."
It was unclear why the charges were reinstated against Botha, or how the latest twist in Pistorius' sensational four-day bail hearing will affect the athlete's chances of securing release from custody pending his main trial.
Pistorius - a double amputee dubbed "Blade Runner" because of his carbon fiber racing blades - faces life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder over the shooting of his girlfriend.
South African media said that since the charges were not hanging over Botha when he was in the witness stand, the revelations about attempted murder charges were unlikely to mean his testimony would have to be withdrawn.
The new twist caps an ignominious 24 hours for South Africa's prosecution service.
Under cross-examination at the bail hearing on Wednesday, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in Pistorius' house and had to backtrack on details such as the distance of witnesses from the athlete's home.
Lead defense counsel Barry Roux accused the police of oversights and slip-ups in their initial investigation.
Pistorius is accused of shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29, at his home early on Valentine's Day.
Related:
Oscar Pistorius in court: Defense exposes cracks in police evidence
Pistorius' uncle: Olympian is in shock but 'will bounce back'
Sportscaster: Pistorius was 'jumpy,' had worries about safety
This story was originally published on Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:13 AM EST
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
This is stupid. He said he shot someone in his bathroom and it turned out to be his girl friend. Who cares about the cop. Who cares about the Olympics or if he has feet. No one cares if she was a model. Really? Did he intentionally shoot someone taking a pee on his toilet and did he know it was his girlfriend. That is all.
Imagine the precedent this could set, want to get rid of wife, husband or mother in law. You walk around the house in the middle of the night, its hunting season.
All the defence seems to be doing is discredit the witnesses...you dont even need witnesses. Cant remember ever waking at nite and not noticing if wife was next to me in bed, esp if there was a dangerous situation.
Maybe money can really buy happiness. OP sure hopes so.
Why wasn't the detective arrested and tried at the time of his offence? Why was he not stripped of his duties?Something fishy..................
So why is MSNBC trying to take our minds ff the fact that this scum bag killed that girl? I dont care if the detective was doing his mother, it does not change the fact that OP killed that girl and should be fried for doing it.... Its time the liberal media start getting the facts straight, and that includes their created messiah president that is destroying this country.....
It says that there was shots fired when he was trying to stop the minibus with 7 occupants. Was there any bullet holes on the bus. If not attempted murder is thrown out and more details needed. Detail is needed on they fired shots, this is needed on prosecuters side if he is to instate any carges.
I believe Christopher Doner, the former L A police officer was fired for standing up to a corrupt system. I can't believe this same corrupt system punish white cops as well. Money can't buy love, but it is defenitely doing a good job of obtaining corrupt justice.
Curiouser and curiouser....
Get ready folks! This will be another shocking Casey Anthony acquittal. This guy will blade-run the streets again soon. Wouldn't be surprised if he's in another race by the end of this year.
Amazing, the blind ignorance of the law these days.
Kudos to his attorney. If you don't have a case you go after the lead detective. It worked for OJ, why not this low life.
This whole thing is beginning to smell......Money...Power...Drugs....Stinks
It's so funny (in a sad way) that so many people are crucifying Pistorious for killing one person, but the lead investigator tries to kill seven, and "who cares about what he did? Just let it go!" No hypocrisy, bias, or corruption there! No, sirree!
Well, at least they have records even in SA of when the police shoot and kill, totally unlike USA!
But this guy has to spend the rest of his life in jail for killing his girlfriend also by shooting, like the 36,000 a year in USA.!
This has no bearing on the case. Piss-ant is guilty and it doesn’t matter who investigates his murder case. I’m still waiting for the defense to explain why the girlfriend never screamed or yelled while Piss-ant was preparing to shoot through the bathroom door. He’s guilty as sin.
sad day when you can make a police dept look like idiots and hire a high test lawyer to get you off with murder and make all involved look like fools. These lawyers are scum suckers from hell that know that you are guilty and still defend their dumbass and act as if they do no wrong
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Further evidence of discrimmination against the handicapped in that country.
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I don;t understand, police officer Dorner shot and killed at random, and he had a lot of followers willing to help him get to Mexico, where's this guys followin?! Where's the crime here?! Perhaps he is another Nat Turner?!
Another guilty celebrity will go free; too bad for the woman and her family.
Wow those cops are a bunch of incompetent dillweeds. How do you miss a bullet at the crime scene, not wear shoe covers and contaminate the evidence, make stupid comments that turn out to be untrue. They are going to ensure that blade boy walks or runs free. Unbelievable
In South Africa , Whites don't get away with killing other whites......They only get away with killing blacks.
The way these cops work it does not matter who he killed he will walk
Wow, they are already starting the misdirection part of their case? He must be guilty as all heck....
Well now that settles it, he's innocent as his accuser is charged with the same crime. Boy if politics did not have any bearing on the case I would say that their system is almost as corrupt as ours.........
This will make a great movie someday! I see three great movies in the future ... the cop from la(chris dorner) and that woman that shot and stab her boyfriend(Jodi arias)...
Now maybe just amybe the rest of the world will bw able to see the sick and oppressive Justice System of South Africa. The Cop shot at a Van taxi full with seven black people whose property they have already seized and the Case was didmissed until now that the same detective becomes involved in this Rich Boy, Pastorious and all of a sudden in order to destroy his credibilty and let pastorious off, his case was re-assigned. Now we see what all those poor black people over there have been goign through all their poor life trying to regain their Economic Inheritance seized by the "Occupiers" in South Africa.
oh yeah and the american media and most of you idiots were ready to hang this guy before he even had a trial.This isnt your CSI or whatever dumb programs you watch,or a movie either like the jerk on # 48 is wishing for,this is a mans life.Not to mention the woman who died.
Contaminated cops or contaminated justice system?
He will walk because of these incompetent cops.
he might blade,but he wont walk.