'Mdluli cop left no stone unturned'
2012-11-02 14:08
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Johannesburg - The policeman who investigated the death of former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli's love rival left no stone unturned, a Boksburg magistrate said on Friday.
Magistrate Jurg Viviers said this while reading his judgment in which he found there was no evidence to Mdluli and three others in the death of Oupa Ramogibe.
"The death was brought by an act prima facie amounting to an offence on the part of unknown persons," said Magistrate Jurg Viviers.
"There is no evidence on a balance of probabilities implicating Richard Mdluli, Samuel Dlomo, Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, or Lieutenant Colonel Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi in the death of the deceased." Ramogibe died in February 1999 after marrying Mdluli's mistress Tsidi Buthelezi.
Going through the evidence, Viviers said investigating officer Colonel Kobus Roelofse told the court no witnesses had been coerced into giving statements.
Statements made by witnesses in 1999 were revisited during the inquest, and the Hawks obtained fresh statements.
The Ramogibe family had accused Mdluli of killing Oupa, but Mdluli has claimed there is a plot to implicate him and that the Ramogibe family was working with police.
Viviers said the inquest was about who killed Ramogibe.
He said other allegations, such as kidnapping, assault, and intimidation, were irrelevant to the inquest.
Mdluli was accused of the murder, along with Dlomo, Ximba, and Mtunzi, but the charge was provisionally withdrawn in February pending the outcome of the inquest.
Also withdrawn were charges of intimidation, kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
- SAPA
