Trio accused of killing Pretoria policeman in court on raft of charges
Three men arrested in connection with the killing of police captain Kenneth Poortman will face a raft of charges, including murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravated circumstances and possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition, the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Sipho Letsoalo told Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair that the state has a prima facie case against Sipho Alfred Tlou (25), Thabo Mampa (age unknown) and Themba Mbowane (34).
“Further charges may be added. The firearm of the deceased, and the vehicle of the deceased was also found in their possession. There is a prima facie case against the accused,” said Letsoalo.
He requested the court to postpone the matter because “the accused were arrested hours after commiting the crimes” and police needed additional time to probe the circumstances in which Poortman was killed after the policeman “was accosted” by the three men near Pretoria central’s well-known Blue Room bar.
The confrontation took place at around 2am on Sunday.
The State’s case is that Poortman was initially stabbed before being bundled into his car. He was driven to a place north of Pretoria where the trio was later arrested at around 10am.
Community members alerted police after seeing bloodstains on the suspects as well as inside Poortman’s car, which had been parked next to a shack. According to police, the suspects were caught with an unlicenced gun plus Poortman’s phone and police service firearm.
The matter was postponed to January 5 for a formal bail application.
Nair remanded the trio in custody after warning them that they were facing very serious charges.
“If ever you are convicted, you are likely to be sentenced to life in prison. This is a schedule six offence and it means you are to remain in custody unless when you bring a bail application and produce evidence to satisfy the court that exceptional circumstances exist for you to be released on bail,” said Nair.
Poortman was married to another police officer, Warrant Officer Ann Poortman, who is the spokeswoman for the Pretoria central police station.
Warrant Officer Poortman was called to the crime scene to gather information for the media when the body was found on Sunday morning.
She discovered that the victim was in fact her husband when she identified the body by the Mabopane roadside.
ANA
(File photo)