Would - be Commissioner evaded cops for 2 hours
2013-09-11 15:58
(File,
supplied)
Pietermaritzburg - Major
General Bethuel Mondli Zuma, who was to have become Gauteng's new provincial
police commissioner, evaded arrested for more than two hours to avoid a blood
sample being taken, the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court heard on Wednesday.
Zuma, 46, faces four counts for allegedly trying to evade a roving anti-alcohol patrol in December 2008.
A member of the patrol, Carin Bishop, said her colleague Kermit Johansen signalled to Zuma's car to stop in a Pietermaritzburg suburb on that day.
Bishop said Zuma failed to stop despite Johansen shouting and flashing a torch at him to stop.
She said that Johansen put on the siren and blue lights of the patrol vehicle and shouted at Zuma over a loudspeaker.
Zuma still did not stop. They lost sight of his vehicle.
The court heard that the officers drove around looking for his vehicle and eventually found it.
Bishop said they went to the driver's door and asked Zuma to step out.
The officers identified themselves and asked Zuma for a breath sample.
Zuma blew into a breathalyser and the reading was 0.65.
Johansen told Zuma that he should be arrested, and tried to handcuff him, but Zuma pushed him away and jumped over a two-metre gate.
Bishop then called for back-up.
She said that about an hour later Zuma was seen talking on a cellphone.
By this time, she said two hours had gone by since he ignored the roadblock.
She said a blood sample at that stage was useless as it should have been taken within two hours for it to be valid.
Zuma faces charges of failing to stop when ordered to, drunk driving, attempting to escape from custody, and defeating the ends of justice.
National police commissioner Riah Phiyega announced Zuma's appointment as Gauteng police commissioner on 31 August, but withdrew it hours later when it emerged that he had a case pending against him.
Zuma, 46, faces four counts for allegedly trying to evade a roving anti-alcohol patrol in December 2008.
A member of the patrol, Carin Bishop, said her colleague Kermit Johansen signalled to Zuma's car to stop in a Pietermaritzburg suburb on that day.
Bishop said Zuma failed to stop despite Johansen shouting and flashing a torch at him to stop.
She said that Johansen put on the siren and blue lights of the patrol vehicle and shouted at Zuma over a loudspeaker.
Zuma still did not stop. They lost sight of his vehicle.
The court heard that the officers drove around looking for his vehicle and eventually found it.
Bishop said they went to the driver's door and asked Zuma to step out.
The officers identified themselves and asked Zuma for a breath sample.
Zuma blew into a breathalyser and the reading was 0.65.
Johansen told Zuma that he should be arrested, and tried to handcuff him, but Zuma pushed him away and jumped over a two-metre gate.
Bishop then called for back-up.
She said that about an hour later Zuma was seen talking on a cellphone.
By this time, she said two hours had gone by since he ignored the roadblock.
She said a blood sample at that stage was useless as it should have been taken within two hours for it to be valid.
Zuma faces charges of failing to stop when ordered to, drunk driving, attempting to escape from custody, and defeating the ends of justice.
National police commissioner Riah Phiyega announced Zuma's appointment as Gauteng police commissioner on 31 August, but withdrew it hours later when it emerged that he had a case pending against him.
- SAPA
