VIP cops linked to N1 assault granted R10 000 bail
The eight suspended police officers attached to the presidential protection unit were granted bail of R10 000 each in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The group was arrested over a week ago following an investigation by the Independent Investigative Police Directorate (Ipid) linking them to the assault of the occupants of a blue VW Polo that was captured on video.
Shadrack Kojoana, Johannes Mampuru, Joseph Mofokeng, Harmans Ramokhonami, Phineas Boshielo, Churchill Mkhize, Aggrie Rambau, and Moses Tshidada, all face 12 counts of various charges, including assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property, defeating the ends of justice and intimidation.
The state opposed bail due to the alleged threatening message sent to a witness who helped disseminate the video footage before it went viral.
READ: VIP cops deny knowledge of ‘threatening message’ sent to witness
When granting bail, Magistrate Hlezephi Mkhasibe said the state had failed to convince the court that the interest of justice would be served by keeping them behind bars.
She highlighted that the complainants had not identified the accused, the state was yet to contact the motorist who took the video of the incident, and it had also not established the originator of the threatening message.
Mkhasibe said the state acted prematurely by bringing this case to court with key investigations still pending.
“The state has failed to link the applicants before this court as the persons behind the threatening and intimidating message. The accused have argued that the state is speculating in alleging that the applicants were responsible for sending the message. I’m inclined to agree with the applicants in this regard.
“The investigating officer stated in his affidavit that he was not able to trace the sender of the message because a so-called burner cellular phone was used.”
WATCH: NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane on the pending investigations in the state’s case against 8 #VIPprotection officers who were today granted bail of R10 000 each. When handing down bail judgement, the magistrate said the state brought the case to court prematurely pic.twitter.com/eEvo5TKLHC
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) August 1, 2023
State prosecutor Elise le Roux previously indicated investigators need at least a month to explore other means of tracing the origins of the text message.
“My concern is that the state is not even certain that the method that they intend to utilise in tracing the sender of the threatening messages will yield positive results in linking the applicants to the commission of the alleged crime,” Mkhasibe added.
The spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority Phindi Mjonondwane said their decision was informed by the need to protect witnesses.
“We hold the view that the interest of justice dictated that we enrolled this matter at the stage when we did, taking into consideration that there was information brought to our attention about a threat that was received by one of our witnesses, and to promote their protection.”
The matter was postponed to 27 September for further investigation.
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