Cop suspect 'not suspended'

2008-04-23 13:08

Eric Lubisi

Schoemansdal - An Mpumalanga police officer accused of shooting two men while drunk and off duty will not be suspended from work.

The policeman, who works at the Nelspruit police station, is charged with shooting two men when they left a tavern last month.

"The case doesn't warrant a suspension because the police officer has also laid an attempted robbery charge against the two men," said provincial police spokesperson Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi this week.

She said an internal investigation would, however, be held to establish if the policeman had been negligent in the use of his firearm.

The criminal case will also continue against the police officer.

"The police officer is off the hook. Investigations are continuing," said Nkosi.

The police officer is accused of shooting two men while drunk and off-duty after leaving a tavern at about 03:00 in Schoemansdal near the Swaziland border.

One of the victims, Selby Luhlanga, 25, was shot in the left ankle and spent seven days in hospital.

His friend, Dumsane Thumbathi, 21, was shot in his pinky finger and lost part of it.

The two men say they were walking behind the police officer, who was with six people from the same tavern, when he allegedly started insulting them. Then the shooting happened.

They opened charges of attempted murder at the Schoemansdal police station against the police officer.

The police officer has also opened an attempted robbery charge against the two men after claiming he was acting in self-defence because they had tried to rob him.

No arrests have been made yet.

- African Eye