A senior Hawks investigator has been charged with crimen injuria and corruption after he allegedly hurled racial slurs at a security guard, then tried to get him to withdraw the charge in exchange for a car.
Colonel Christiaan “Trompies” Theron, stationed at the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations (DPCI), appeared briefly in the Bellville Commercial Crimes Court on Friday.
It is the State’s case that shortly after Theron arrived at Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on May 18 last year, an argument about where he was allowed to park ensued between him and security guard Bulelani Mgcuwe.
The charge sheet before the court states that during the argument Theron allegedly referred to Mgcuwe as a baboon and swore at him.
“This province (Western Cape) belongs to the white people. White people in this province play the guitar and then the baboon must dance,” Theron is alleged to have told Mgcuwe.
“You stupid baboon. Jou ma se p**s ,” he allegedly added.
The State further alleges that Theron went to the Khayelitsha court two months after the incident and offered to buy Mgcuwe a car in exchange for him withdrawing the charge.
Theron also faces four alternative counts of corruption, and a fifth of defeating the ends of justice.
Theron was expected to plead to the charges when he appeared in the Bellville Commercial Crimes Court last Thursday.
But the case was rolled over to the next day because a separate trial was running, and received preference.
When Theron appeared on Friday, prosecutor Esmeralda Johnson said it was “highly unlikely” the trial would go ahead as another matter that had been partly heard in the same court needed to be concluded.
Magistrate Amrith Chabilall postponed Theron’s case to August 8 for plea and trial. - Cape Argus