Johannesburg - A Mount Fletcher police officer, 29, has been arrested for allegedly shooting his girlfriend last week.
The police officer was arrested by Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) officers on Wednesday.
It is alleged that the suspect fired a gun at his girlfriend last Friday and later rushed her to hospital, where he allegedly lied and told police investigators his partner had been shot by gunmen trying to rob the couple.
Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola said the police officer opened a case of attempted murder at a local police station.
“When the police visited the girlfriend in hospital, she informed them that she was shot by her boyfriend after they had an argument.
“As mandated by the Section 29 (1)a of the Ipid Act, the police must immediately after becoming aware notify the directorate of any matters that fall within the Ipid mandate, as such this incident was brought to the attention of Ipid on Monday, May10,” said Cola.
Cola said the 29-year-old police officer would be charged with attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice and perjury. He is expected to appear in the Mount Fletcher Magistrate Court on Thursday.
Last week, Ipid arrested a 55-year-old warrant officer from the Mthatha VIP Protection Unit on three counts of murder and one attempted murder charge, for allegedly shooting four people, killing three and seriously wounding the other.
This was 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, while 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. The officer 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.
IOL