Cops jump the gun in 'weapons cache' court case
12 Jun 2012 | Mogomotsi Selebi | 3 comments
MURDER charges against five men suspected of killing a teenager have been withdrawn in the Germiston Magistrate's Court.
OFF THE HOOK: Susanna Harmse with her husband Abraham outside the Germiston Magistrate's Court yesterday. Murder charges against Harmse were withdrawn. PHOTO: SIBUSISO MSIBI
Wesley Courtney, 27, Christopher Duvenage, 25, Daniel Harmse 19, Abraham Harmse, 50, and Christopher Harmse were all charged with the murder of 15-year-old Sibusiso Titimani after the teenager died in Primrose two weeks ago.
Together with Abraham's wife Susanna, they were also charged with illegal possession of firearms.
However, the murder charge against them was withdrawn following what magistrate Deon Snyman labelled "a weak case".
It emerged that during an identity parade last week, witnesses could not point the suspects out of the line up.
Snyman, without directly naming the police, said they would be embarrassed.
"Someone will end up with mud on their faces and will be embarrassed. I read in the newspapers that the suspects were AWB members who went around killing black children," Snyman said.
That was in reference to an article in a daily newspaper that referred to Duvenage as a member of the right-wing organisation.
"People came to court this morning with placards, meanwhile the suspects were not pointed out [from the line up]," Snyman said.
He said the state had a weak case and that it was "always better if you have all the evidence".
The accused were arrested at their home and an assortment of "weapons" was seized.
However, it has emerged that the guns were not even real, but pellet guns. Their attorney Boela van der Merwe blamed the police for causing distress to his clients.
"A wrong message was sent out and this case was not properly investigated. The police jumped to the wrong conclusion," Van der Merwe said.
He also denied that his clients were racists and added: "They do not belong to any political party, including the AWB."
Duvenage however has an attempted murder case and will appear again on July 13. - selebim@sowetan.co.za
