The South African Police Service said today that Hilton Botha, the lead investigator in the Oscar Pistorius murder case, will no longer be part of the investigation after this week's bail hearing ends.
The decision comes in light of the revelation that the detective is facing his own attempted murder charges in connection to a 2011 shooting.
"We became aware of the allegations that surfaced yesterday against the investigating officer in the Oscar Pistorius case," Police Chief Reah Piyega said at a news conference today.
Botha and other police officers allegedly fired at passengers in a vehicle two years ago.
"We were aware of the matter, it was in court, it was withdrawn and yesterday we got the decision of the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority]," she said. "At this point in time, it is premature for anyone of us to pre-judge this case."
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Botha will be allowed to finish the Pistorius bail application that ended its third day in court this afternoon.
Whether Pistorius is granted bail or not, Botha will not be part of the investigation team as it prepares for the Olympic sprinter's trial.
Piyega said Botha is "highly experienced" after 22 years of service and the matter "doesn't take away that experience."
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A decision in Pistorius' bail application is expected Friday.
"With that part over, Botha has done what he was supposed to do and now we are going into the long haul of the investigation," Piyega said.
Botha is scheduled to appear in court in May on seven counts of attempted murder in connection to the October 2011 incident in which he and two other officers allegedly fired shots at a minibus they were attempting to stop. It's unclear whether any of the passengers were injured.
Botha has been outlining details this week at the Olympic runner's bail hearing of his investigation into the Feb. 14 shooting death of Reeva Steenkamp at Pistorius' home in Pretoria, South Africa. Botha was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene, where Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, was found fatally shot three times.
Pistorius, a double-amputee who walks on carbon fiber blades, says he killed his girlfriend accidentally.
Prosecutors say they were unaware of the charges against the detective when he took the stand this week, according to The Associated Press.
"The prosecutors were not aware of those charges [against Botha]," Medupe Simasiku of the National Prosecution Agency said. "We are calling up the information so we can get the details of the case. From there, we can take action and see if we remove him from the investigation or if he stays."
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Botha muddled testimony and eventually admitted Wednesday at Pistorius' bail hearing that the suspect's account of the Valentine's Day shooting did not contradict the police's version of events.
A spokesman for the NPA admitted today that charges pending against Botha were not helpful for the credibility of the prosecution's case, but that the case would hinge on forensic evidence, not the testimony of a police officer.
Pistorius has argued in court that he was closing his balcony doors when he heard a noise from the bathroom. Fearing an intruder, and without his prosthetic legs on, he grabbed a gun from under his bed and fired through the closed bathroom door, he told the court.
Lead Pistorius Cop Facing Attempted Murder Charge
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Lead Pistorius Cop Facing Attempted Murder Charge
