Bail for hijack accused metro cop

A picture uploaded on Facebook showing a police officer allegedly holding up a family in Zandspruit, Pretoria.

A picture uploaded on Facebook showing a police officer allegedly holding up a family in Zandspruit, Pretoria.

Published Jan 31, 2015

Share

Pretoria - The Tshwane metro police officer accused of robbing a woman on the Mabopane Highway and threatening to shoot her three-year-old daughter, was on Friday granted bail by the Pretoria Commercial Crime Court.

Sipho Machubeni, 35, was given R5 000 bail, despite the State opposing bail on the grounds that he might be a threat to Magda Robbertse and her family. Machubeni is said to have roughed her up and threatened to shoot her daughter, Veronique, on Monday.

Machubeni’s legal representative, Thamasanqa Ndwadwe, argued that there was no proof that Machubeni would pose a threat to the family.

He argued that keeping Machubeni in custody would amount to financial prejudice as he is a father of two and the sole breadwinner for his family.

“We can also see that this is a result of racial tension and this could have been a misunderstanding between the two parties and that these charges could have been fabricated,” Ndwandwe said.

He said, based on the charges being dropped against his partner and former co-accused Sergeant Gilbert Mashamaite, Machubeni is likely to be acquitted. The 35-year-old faces charges of armed robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, assault, and corruption.

Magistrate Nicca Setshogo said there were discrepancies in the statements presented to her for the bail application.

She questioned the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Marthinus Smit, on why Robbertse and her relatives went back to the scene of the incident and confronted the officer and his partner and asked why they did not report the matter at a police station.

Setshogo said she could not find any points that could keep him in custody.

She postponed the matter until March 31 for further investigation.

Independent on Saturday

Related Topics: