Five public order police officers have been denied bail by the Cradock Magistrates’ Court as they face two counts of murder, attempted murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and three counts of kidnapping.
Melikhaya Madubedube (41), Ibanathi Jack (33), Ndumiso Mpondo (29), Khulile Damane (46) and Vuyani Mahlasela (31) were arrested on 11 and 12 January 2024, after the body of a 29-year-old man was found within the premises of the SAPS in Cradock, on 8 January 2024.
It is alleged that all the accused persons were on duty, conducting crime prevention patrols within the town, with a Quantum minibus police vehicle.
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When they came across one of the victims, they allegedly handcuffed, assaulted him in the police vehicle, and questioned him about a stolen cellphone belonging to one of the accused persons. They allegedly drove on the R61 road out of town, where they stopped, assaulted, pepper-sprayed and suffocated him.
The victim informed the accused about the second victim as the individual who might know about the stolen cellphone.
They allegedly drove into town and found the second victim. They took him to a secluded area, where they allegedly tortured him the same way as the first one. The second victim then named the third victim. The third victim was also allegedly driven to a place outside town where he suffered the same fate as the other two.
The court heard that when the knock-off time and shift-change time arrived, the accused went back to their station, where they instructed the first and second victims to leave the premises. The third victim was allegedly dragged to a nearby tap, where water was poured on him, but he could not stand on his own.
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“The accused persons allegedly left the victim lying on the premises of the station and went their separate ways. The Station Commander found the victim lying on the station’s grounds. An ambulance was called, and he was declared dead on the scene. The surviving victims identified the accused persons as the officers who assaulted them. One of the victims died in hospital over the weekend,” the court.
The five officers were denied bail because the court found that they may interfere with investigations and witnesses.
The case has been postponed to 23 February 2024 for further investigations.
