Cop killer suspect ‘tortured’

745-Hands from the one of the three suspects hanging outside the holding cells at Protea North Magistrate court after the three cop killing suspects appered yesterday. Picture:Dumisani Dube

745-Hands from the one of the three suspects hanging outside the holding cells at Protea North Magistrate court after the three cop killing suspects appered yesterday. Picture:Dumisani Dube

Published Sep 30, 2015

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Johannesburg - An alleged cop-killer has accused the police of torturing him while in custody.

This emerged on Tuesday in the Protea Magistrate’s Court when Funokwakhe Thabethe and two co-accused appeared for the murder of two Dobsonville police officers.

“It’s clearly apparent the handcuffs were placed extremely tightly and used to harm him,” said Thabethe’s lawyer, Ryan Stylianou.

“Upon his arrest, he was tortured by the police… You can clearly see the skin is missing on both hands.”

Thabethe, Mxolisi Mazibuko and Simphiwe Mswane are each facing two counts of murder, one of robbery and a charge of possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.

Warrant Officer Samuel Mchizama, 50, and Constable Solly Maluleke, 40, were murdered in Dobsonville earlier this month.

Mazibuko was arrested on the same day as the murders for allegedly raping a woman soon after the killings. His rape charge will be combined with the murder case.

Thabethe and Mswane were arrested on September 16 and found with an AK47 rifle.

Meanwhile, police are trying to link the men to other crimes after discovering a second car, a Hyundai i20, abandoned in the Carlton Centre parking lot on Friday – a day after police seized a Hyundai i30 abandoned at a parking lot in Langlaagte.

The case against the suspects has been postponed to next Wednesday for a bail application.

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@Gabi_Falanga

The Star

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