Cop murder case: Lawyer lays into investigator
The defence attorney in the case of a policeman accused of murdering his colleague said the State’s case was pathetic.
|||Pretoria - The defence attorney in the case of a policeman accused of murdering his colleague said the State’s case was pathetic.
Constable Rishen Rampashard appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday facing a charge of premeditated murder for allegedly killing Lieutenant-Colonel Renier Lagois. He was gunned down at his Rietfontein home in January.
“This is how priority crimes are being conducted. It’s pathetic to say the least,” said Kineil Muthray, Rampashard’s attorney.
Muthray poked holes in investigating officer Captain Fire Masilela’s testimony during the formal bail application.
Masilela is a member of the directorate for an elite priority crime investigation unit. Masilela testified to not having done much investigative work to prove or disprove Rampashard’s version of events detailed in his affidavit. The accused said he was at the murder scene while Masilela and his colleagues were investigating because the daughter of the victim’s former girlfriend called him to the scene.
Masilela testified that he had not asked for a statement from the teenager to verify that version of events. He said the daughter, Caroline Naidoo - the ex-girlfriend - and the helper were all suspects, but he had not taken any statements from them nor was anyone arrested.
Rampashard said he had been in the area where Lagois was killed, because he had been having problems with his bike, and had to get a replacement. Masilela said he had not checked to verify this information. He also testified that he knew the murder weapon was found in the safe.
Asked how he knew that, he said because police officers always put their guns in safes.
The investigating officer said the motive of the killing was to get insurance money from the policies of Lagois because Naidoo was allegedly a relation.
“Last week you testified that the department (SAPS) would pay out some money if (Lagois) died. Who would be the beneficiary of that money?” Muthray asked.
“The next of kin would be the beneficiary,” Masilela said.
“Caroline is not a next of kin. There is no blood relationship so why would she be a beneficiary?” Muthray asked. Masilela eventually relented and said he had not yet received confirmation on who would be the beneficiary.
“Their entire case is based on circumstantial belief that the investigating officer has,” Muthray said.
The bail bid continues on Friday.
nomaswazi.nkosi@inl.co.za
Pretoria News