10 cops due in court for murder, torture
2015-09-01
07:09
Johannesburg - Ten police officers charged with the murder
and torture of a man they were questioning for theft, are expected to apply for
bail at the Tembisa Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The case relates to the death of Khuthazile Mbendu in December
last year.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson
Grace Langa said the policemen were searching for a firearm which they could
not find on him.
They also wanted to know the location of four other alleged
accomplices.
They decided to take him
to the police station, but on the way they stopped and allegedly tortured him
with a tazer shock device, beat him, and broke one of his legs.
When they arrived at the police station, the officers there did
not want to book him in his condition, and he was taken to Tembisa Hospital.
He died on December 8, after four days in hospital.
Langa said the duty officer at the police station that night
reported the matter to Ipid. The names of the arrested policemen were not
immediately available.
The group was arrested last week, days after eight police officers
were convicted for the murder of Mozambican minibus taxi driver Mido Macia, who
was handcuffed to a police van and dragged.
