This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/21/oscar-pistorius-case-lead-detective-removed
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Oscar Pistorius case: lead detective Hilton Botha removed from inquiry | Oscar Pistorius case: lead detective Hilton Botha removed from inquiry |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The prosecution of Oscar Pistorius over the death of Reeva Steenkamp took a dramatic turn on Thursday after the chief investigator, Hilton Botha, was dropped from the case following the revelation that he was himself facing seven charges of attempted murder. | |
| Shortly after the third day of Pistorius's bail hearing drew to a close, National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega told reporters that Botha would be replaced by "the most senior detective" in the force, Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo. | Shortly after the third day of Pistorius's bail hearing drew to a close, National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega told reporters that Botha would be replaced by "the most senior detective" in the force, Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo. |
| "I have decided to assign this very important investigation under the leadership and stewardship of the divisonal commissioner, Lt Gen Moonoo," said Phiyega. | "I have decided to assign this very important investigation under the leadership and stewardship of the divisonal commissioner, Lt Gen Moonoo," said Phiyega. |
| "He will lead the process of establishing a team of highly skilled and professional detectives. They shall continue with this investigation." | "He will lead the process of establishing a team of highly skilled and professional detectives. They shall continue with this investigation." |
| Earlier, the South African police service confirmed that Botha and two other officers were accused of firing at a taxi carrying seven passengers during an allegedly drunken incident in 2011. | |
| When the Pistorius bail hearing resumed on Thursday, the chief prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, began by explaining the attempted murder charges to the court, stating he wanted to put matters on the record. "The case [against Botha] was originally dropped but now it has been reinstated," Nel said. | |
| Botha was not present at the time. The hearing was then briefly adjourned as officials looked for him. | Botha was not present at the time. The hearing was then briefly adjourned as officials looked for him. |
| Chief prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, joked "there goes my case" as Botha was brought back into the court. The detective, who was not questioned about the 2011 incident, was asked to clarify some of his statements to the court about the evidence in the Pistorius case. | |
| There followed yet another dramatic day in the hearing, with the proceedings briefly suspended again because of what was described as a "threat to the court". | |
| Pistorius has said that he killed Steenkamp by mistake, when he opened fire through a locked toilet door, thinking there was a burglar or burglars in his house. | Pistorius has said that he killed Steenkamp by mistake, when he opened fire through a locked toilet door, thinking there was a burglar or burglars in his house. |
| The prosecution maintains that Pistorius, 26, deliberately shot and killed her, and on Thursday Nel accused him of showing scant regard for her wellbeing. | |
| "You want to protect her, but you don't even look at her. You don't even ask: Reeva, are you all right?" Nel said. "His version is so improbable." | "You want to protect her, but you don't even look at her. You don't even ask: Reeva, are you all right?" Nel said. "His version is so improbable." |
| But perhaps the most dramatic moment of the day was the news that Botha was himself under investigation. South African news reports said at the time of the alleged shooting in 2011 that Botha and the other officers were pursuing a man accused of murdering and dismembering a woman before dumping her body parts down a drain. | |
| A police spokesman, Neville Malila, told the website Eye Witness News that the charges were initially dropped but later reinstated. | |
| "There was a decision taken by the director of public prosecutions' office to charge the members, each one of them with seven counts of attempted murder. That was the number of people that were in the taxi," Malila said. | "There was a decision taken by the director of public prosecutions' office to charge the members, each one of them with seven counts of attempted murder. That was the number of people that were in the taxi," Malila said. |
| The prosecution said they were unaware of the charges against the detective when they put him on the stand to explain why Pistorius should not be given bail. | |
| Malila said police learned on Wednesday that the DPP had reinstated the charges against Botha. He said police were waiting for details from his case file. | |
| The National Prosecuting Authority said the charges against Botha were reinstated on 4 February, 10 days before Pistorius shot Steenkamp. | |
| "The decision to reinstate was taken on 4 February, way before the issue of Pistorius came to light or the murder of Reeva was committed," an NPA spokesman, Medupe Simasiku, told Reuters. "It's completely unrelated to this trial." | "The decision to reinstate was taken on 4 February, way before the issue of Pistorius came to light or the murder of Reeva was committed," an NPA spokesman, Medupe Simasiku, told Reuters. "It's completely unrelated to this trial." |
| The police force said they had chosen Botha, an officer for 24 years and detective for 16, in spite of the charges because of his experience. "[Botha] is innocent until proven guilty," Malila said. "[He] was chosen by the station to do the investigation due to the fact that he is a senior." | The police force said they had chosen Botha, an officer for 24 years and detective for 16, in spite of the charges because of his experience. "[Botha] is innocent until proven guilty," Malila said. "[He] was chosen by the station to do the investigation due to the fact that he is a senior." |
| The revelations come after serious failings in the prosecution case against Pistorius were exposed on Wednesday. | The revelations come after serious failings in the prosecution case against Pistorius were exposed on Wednesday. |
| Botha struggled under defence cross-examination, wrongly claiming to have found boxes of testosterone in Pistorius's bedroom and admitting that police had no evidence contradicting the athlete's version of events. | Botha struggled under defence cross-examination, wrongly claiming to have found boxes of testosterone in Pistorius's bedroom and admitting that police had no evidence contradicting the athlete's version of events. |
| The detective has been a central figure in the case against Pistorius, the Olympic and Paralympic athlete known as the Blade Runner. Pistorious has admitted shooting dead Steenkamp on 14 February. He denies premeditated murder. | The detective has been a central figure in the case against Pistorius, the Olympic and Paralympic athlete known as the Blade Runner. Pistorious has admitted shooting dead Steenkamp on 14 February. He denies premeditated murder. |
| Botha has been strongly criticised by Pistorious's family, who have been closely following the athlete's bail hearing from the court in Pretoria. The detective was forced to correct the testosterone allegation, admitting he could not be certain of the contents. | Botha has been strongly criticised by Pistorious's family, who have been closely following the athlete's bail hearing from the court in Pretoria. The detective was forced to correct the testosterone allegation, admitting he could not be certain of the contents. |