Pistorius Cop Quits

Azbubu

Azbubu

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Hilton Botha, the former lead detective in the murder case involving paralympian Oscar Pistorius, has resigned from the SA Police Service, police confirmed on Thursday.

"He gave notice with immediate effect yesterday (Wednesday)," Brigadier Neville Malila said.

"The reasons given are between himself and the organisation. It is a personal decision ultimately."

Malila said Botha had been an investigator for many years and a member of the police for more than 22 years.

"It is a lot of experience that we are losing, but it is his personal decision."

Botha's removal from the Pistorius case followed reports in February that he was charged with attempted murder.

Police later confirmed that he had seven attempted murder charges pending. In 2011 Botha allegedly fired shots at a minibus while trying to stop the vehicle. Seven people were in the taxi at the time.

Botha told Sapa he was looking forward to his new job, but was coy on exactly what it entailed.

It was different but in a similar field to what he was doing with the police.

"It is a new area but I am happy about it."

Botha said his new employers approached him about a week ago.

He would not give further details regarding his new position or employer saying it would bring unnecessary attention to them.

"The most important reason [for my resignation] is that I want to send my son to university next year and with a police salary it would have been impossible for me."

Botha said he harboured no ill feelings towards the police service, adding: "I really enjoyed all the years I worked."

SAPA
 
At least he quit, which is more than we can say for some of the blatant thugs who continue to hold onto power in the face of a scandal.
 
Botha said his new employers approached him about a week ago.
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Why would he get approached for a job if he has a attempted murder charge hanging over his head and was shown as a bit not competent? Pistorius family, lawyers or someone who wants to benefit from this situation must have a hand in this. If it is Oscar's uncle who arrange this then he is a genius.

I am expecting him to give all the dishy inside info of the states case and all the evidence the state has to the defense in exchange for his cushy job.
 
I smell the Pistorius team behind this sudden job offer. Especially when his competence was so questionable
 
sox63 said:
I smell the Pistorius team behind this sudden job offer. Especially when his competence was so questionable
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Before he starts his new job as head of security for the Pistorius family, he is going on a holiday; using his bonus that he received for 'taking a dive'.
 
Can someone summarise for me what makes him incompetent? I don't see it...
 
He probably got offered a job at a security company, any good company would snatch him up in a second. Probably earning double to what he was and being treated like a human
 
Apparently he got a job as a Loss Manager at a Construction company. Is that more money than a dectective salary? If so, our cops are underpaid
 
DJ... said:
Can someone summarise for me what makes him incompetent? I don't see it...
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genetic said:
Likewise.
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All I could find at the moment.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Glob...-system-handle-the-Oscar-Pistorius-case-video

Yes, the detective investigating the murder of Reeve Steenkamp had attempted murder charges reinstated on Feb. 4 – some 10 days before the Pistorius case. Botha and two other police officers face seven counts of attempted murder in a 2011 shooting incident. The drunk policemen allegedly fired at a minibus they were trying to stop.

In an attempt to rebound from this setback, South Africa's National Police Commission Riah Phiyega said Thursday that a team of "highly skilled and experienced' detectives will now take over the investigation. South African Olympic runner Pistorius faces a premeditated murder charge for the killing of his girlfriend Reeva SteenKamp.

But this sudden removal of Botha, in addition to his testimony during three days of bail hearings, is raising questions not only about the quality of the prosecution's case but the effectiveness of South Africa's judicial system.

During Thursday's bail hearing, Pistorius's defense attorney Barry Roux cast doubt on the version of events given by Botha on previous days. Prosecutors claimed Steenkamp had fled to the bathroom after a fight, fearing an enraged Pistorius. But Pistorius's version of events was that she had gone to the bathroom to relieve herself, and he didn't know it was her behind the door when he fired the gun four times. He thought she was an intruder.

On Thursday, Botha conceded that the angle of the shots was consistent with Pistorius's version of events.

As The Guardian live blog on the case reported:

"Defence lawyer Barry Roux said that Steenkamp’s bladder was empty when she died, indicating she had indeed got up to use the toilet. Usually at 3am you would not find an empty bladder, Roux said. Roux said Steenkamp’s autopsy showed no sign of defensive wounds or an assault. Botha said that was correct. Roux said that Steenkamp might have locked the toilet door to protect herself when she heard Pistorius shouting that there was a burglar. And he said that Botha could not say for sure that the shots were fired from 1.5m away and at the angle he described – and Botha admitted he couldn’t be sure about that. Roux also criticised Botha’s handling of the crime scene, saying the police had failed to find a bullet cartridge and that Botha had walked in to the house without protective feet covers on, contaminating the scene."

And there were other mistakes that came to light on Wednesday, as The Christian Science Monitor reported, "Police ... left a 9 mm slug from the barrage that killed Reeva Steenkamp inside a toilet and lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house."

"Unfortunately there are too many instances of poor police work," Gerhard Kemp, a professor of criminal law at the University of Stellenbosch, told Reuters. "It's absolutely not CSI. It's a totally different world."

On Thursday, Desmond Nair, the magistrate in charge of the bail hearing, also raised questions about the competence of Botha's work, asking why the police hadn't acquired Steenkamp's phone records yet.

"Do you agree that [if] the deceased received SMSs or Phonecalls at 3 a.m., would it change the position of case?" the judge asked.

Pistorius's attroney, Roux pressed his advantage Thursday. "The poor quality of the evidence offered by investigative officer Botha exposed the disastrous shortcomings of the state's case," Roux said. "We cannot sit back and take comfort that he [Botha] is telling the truth."

Asked about Botha's court performance and handling of the investigation, National Police Commission Phiyega said South Africa's police force "can stand on its own" compared to others around the world, according to The Associated Press.

And Reuters reports:

With huge international media interest in the case against a global celebrity, many South Africans feel that apparent initial slip-ups by the police are hurting the country's image.
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marine1 said:
Can't blame him, the whole country threw him under the bus
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And his @ss ociates sold him down the river especially NPA who should have not allowed him on the case from the beginning, they knew long ago about these charges against him.

As said in other posts, these days you fire a warning shot and the culprits immediate counter defense is attempted murder.

I don't like him, but I do have great sympathy for him and wish him a better future.
 
DJ... said:
Can someone summarise for me what makes him incompetent? I don't see it...
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He went back into the house alone without protective garments and stomped unprofessionally through a crime scene... And completely missed a bullet lodged in the wall...
 
blunomore said:
Did you follow his cross-examination in the Pistorius bail hearing ?
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Yes. There were forensics issues, which are not his doing, and there one or two minor irregularities than are existent in any defence cross examination. The NPA also rushed the bail hearing for their own reasons and Hilton Botha was the fall-guy if anything didn't tie up.

I really and truly don't see him as the incompetent detective everyone makes him out to be...
 
2012 said:
He went back into the house alone without protective garments and stomped unprofessionally through a crime scene... And completely missed a bullet lodged in the wall...
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Your first bit is emotive nonsense. Stomping through the crime scene?! He went in to fetch something that he'd left and this was post-forensics in any case. It had no bearing on the forensic aspect of the investigation. And the second bit is forensics issue. The forensics team missed the bullet...
 
2012 said:
He went back into the house alone without protective garments and stomped unprofessionally through a crime scene... And completely missed a bullet lodged in the wall...
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I doubt that anyone else in the SAPS would have done anything differently. This is SA.
 
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