A pair of handcuffs on the floor of a prison cell. The 55-year-old policeman remains in custody following his appearance in the Centane Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Pexels
DURBAN - A 55-year-old policeman from the Eastern Cape province will remain in custody following an appearance at the Centane Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The warrant officer from the Mthatha VIP Protection Unit is facing three counts of murder and one attempted murder charge, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed on Monday.
Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola said that the suspect’s case was postponed to Thursday, when he will appear for a possible bail hearing.
The suspect allegedly shot four people last Wednesday, killing three and seriously wounding the other.
This, after the suspect allegedly borrowed a piece of land belonging to a church in Centane, in the Eastern Cape’s Amathole district municipality.
A church elder or “headman” allegedly helped the accused facilitate the transaction, Cola said. Following the transaction, the church started building a hall on the same piece of land which had been earmarked for the police officer.
“As alleged, the suspect went to the church and confronted the pastor. He allegedly shot the pastor and other church members whilst the other person who was on the scene survived,” Cola said.
The officer also allegedly fatally shot the church elder who helped him to acquire the land. He was arrested that same day and his firearm was confiscated and taken in for a ballistics test.
According to Ipid, the State will be opposing the suspect’s bail.
“Ipid continues with the investigation process of this case. The investigator will attend the post-mortem to be conducted in Butterworth today,” Cola said.
ANA
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