McBride was drunk
witness
18 Mar 2008
18 Mar 2008
Sapa
Pretoria Ekurhuleni Metro Police
chief Robert McBride was drunk on the night of his December 2006 accident, a
second state witness told the Pretoria Regional Court yesterday.
Former Ekurhuleni Metro Police officer Itumeleng Koko told the court that McBride had bloodshot eyes, could not speak properly and was unsteady on his feet before the accident.
During questioning by the state, Koko said it appeared to him as if his boss was drunk.
He said that he was concerned about the amount of alcohol McBride was consuming and asked his former colleague, first state witness Stanley Sagathevan, to ask if McBride did not want to be driven home. He alleges that McBride told Sagathevan he was fine.
Koko told the court that when he was travelling back from the year-end function in the Hartbeespoort Dam area, he noticed that McBride had been involved in an accident.
He said his chief needed to be removed from the scene "immediately" and that when he and a colleague stopped to assist, he noticed that McBride appeared to be in a calm state of mind, despite a cut on his head. McBride was standing outside his vehicle.
It also came to his attention that a bystander at the scene had taken the keys to McBrides vehicle.
He told the court that former police officer Hendrik Degenaar, who had also arrived at the scene, proceeded to "strangle" the bystander till the person gave back the keys.
Degenaar is to appear in court for defeating the ends of justice and assault.
Koko added that he drove McBride away from the scene to be transported later by Sagathevan to a doctor in Boksburg. Once he met with Sagathevan, Sagathevan allegedly handed him his camera and he went back to the scene to take photos.
While at the scene, he learnt that his bosss service pistol was missing.
He said that the next day, a press release was compiled stating that McBride was not drunk on the night of the accident.
Then a search for a doctor who would compile a falsified statement began, as Sagathevans cousin, a doctor, refused to falsify a statement.
Among some of the people approached were a priest, who refused to falsify the document, and a Ga-Rankuwa doctor, who said he could help find another doctor as he had been deregistered. He then found Dr Joseph Moratioa, who agreed to falsify a medical certificate.
The police chief, who suffers from type two diabetes, allegedly wanted the doctor to issue a note saying that he had low blood sugar.
Moratioa allegedly said he had fabricated medical certificates before.
Koko said he and Sagathevan all made their statements to the police on May 30, 2007.
Asked why he made this statement five months after the incident, Koko claimed he wanted to avoid being victimised.
He told the court he made a false statement about the accident (that McBride was not drunk) because he did not want to disobey his chiefs instructions.
He said he was threatened on many occasions and that if anyone said anything against McBride they would be killed.
McBride has pleaded not guilty to drunken driving, defeating the ends of justice and fraud charges.
On his second day of testimony, Sagathevan said he was convinced his boss was drunk as he "[knew] his normal composure".
This followed a question from McBrides defence as to how he knew that McBride was drunk. He said a picture he took of McBride, who was slumped on his chair, gave him the impression he was drunk.
Former Ekurhuleni Metro Police officer Itumeleng Koko told the court that McBride had bloodshot eyes, could not speak properly and was unsteady on his feet before the accident.
During questioning by the state, Koko said it appeared to him as if his boss was drunk.
He said that he was concerned about the amount of alcohol McBride was consuming and asked his former colleague, first state witness Stanley Sagathevan, to ask if McBride did not want to be driven home. He alleges that McBride told Sagathevan he was fine.
Koko told the court that when he was travelling back from the year-end function in the Hartbeespoort Dam area, he noticed that McBride had been involved in an accident.
He said his chief needed to be removed from the scene "immediately" and that when he and a colleague stopped to assist, he noticed that McBride appeared to be in a calm state of mind, despite a cut on his head. McBride was standing outside his vehicle.
It also came to his attention that a bystander at the scene had taken the keys to McBrides vehicle.
He told the court that former police officer Hendrik Degenaar, who had also arrived at the scene, proceeded to "strangle" the bystander till the person gave back the keys.
Degenaar is to appear in court for defeating the ends of justice and assault.
Koko added that he drove McBride away from the scene to be transported later by Sagathevan to a doctor in Boksburg. Once he met with Sagathevan, Sagathevan allegedly handed him his camera and he went back to the scene to take photos.
While at the scene, he learnt that his bosss service pistol was missing.
He said that the next day, a press release was compiled stating that McBride was not drunk on the night of the accident.
Then a search for a doctor who would compile a falsified statement began, as Sagathevans cousin, a doctor, refused to falsify a statement.
Among some of the people approached were a priest, who refused to falsify the document, and a Ga-Rankuwa doctor, who said he could help find another doctor as he had been deregistered. He then found Dr Joseph Moratioa, who agreed to falsify a medical certificate.
The police chief, who suffers from type two diabetes, allegedly wanted the doctor to issue a note saying that he had low blood sugar.
Moratioa allegedly said he had fabricated medical certificates before.
Koko said he and Sagathevan all made their statements to the police on May 30, 2007.
Asked why he made this statement five months after the incident, Koko claimed he wanted to avoid being victimised.
He told the court he made a false statement about the accident (that McBride was not drunk) because he did not want to disobey his chiefs instructions.
He said he was threatened on many occasions and that if anyone said anything against McBride they would be killed.
McBride has pleaded not guilty to drunken driving, defeating the ends of justice and fraud charges.
On his second day of testimony, Sagathevan said he was convinced his boss was drunk as he "[knew] his normal composure".
This followed a question from McBrides defence as to how he knew that McBride was drunk. He said a picture he took of McBride, who was slumped on his chair, gave him the impression he was drunk.
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global%5B_id%5D=5300
