Jub Jub trial adjourns for crime intel cop

2011-06-21 18:05

Johannesburg - The trial of Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye and co-accused Themba Tshabalala was adjourned in the Protea Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

This was to allow a police officer from the crime intelligence cyber unit to obtain files, to prepare for his continued cross examination on Wednesday.

Magistrate Brian Nemabidi - after a request from State prosecutor Raymond Mathenjwa - ordered that the man not be named for "security reasons".

Earlier, Maarohanye's lawyer Ike Motloung accused the officer of "lying" and "playing games".

The sergeant was responsible for copying onto a DVD a downloaded version of a cellphone recording, showing Maarohanye and Tshabalala allegedly drag racing. The DVD footage was again played to the court on Tuesday.

'Playing games'

In his cross-examination Motloung said: "I'm asking you a simple question. Why did you originally say that the request (to put the recording on DVD) came from the IO (investigating officer)? You're lying, aren't you?

"You are trying to play games with me. You think you can hide easily."

He also dissected the process the officer used to put the recording onto the DVD.

During a short adjournment earlier, family members of the teenagers killed began yelling at Motloung.

"This is not a joke," one of them shouted.

"For the sake of what happened, please calm down," a court official said.

The footage belongs to an 18-year-old witness testifying against the two men. Ntokozo Mahlangu previously said she refused to give the defence her cellphone's memory card, as it had private data on it.

Cellphone recording’s credibility questioned

Motloung said at the last court appearance he wanted his own expert to analyse the cellphone and memory card.

Mathenjwa objected to Motloung's application and asked the magistrate to wait until the police technical support unit (TSU) testified. He said it was "not safe" to release the cellphone, which was already evidence in the case, until the TSU had testified.

The credibility of the recording had also been questioned a number of times.

Maarohanye and Tshabalala face charges of murder, attempted murder and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

They were allegedly drag-racing when one of their Mini Coopers ploughed into a group of schoolchildren in Mdlalose Street, in Protea North, on March 8 last year.

Four children were killed and two others suffered severe injuries, including brain damage.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

- SAPA