Pretoria - A former Soshanguve police sergeant will have to wait until the end of August to know his fate after being convicted by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria of murder, arson and two counts of attempted murder this week.
Sergeant Mautla Silas Maluleke, 42, was accused of attacking the house of his ex girlfriend, Constable Rhofiwa Munyai, a policewoman, in the process killing her 82-year-old grandmother, Tshavhungwe Munyai.
According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) in Gauteng, Maluleke, who was attached to Rietgat police station in Soshanguve, has been under investigation since the incident in June 2021.
Ipid spokesperson Robbie Raburabu said Maluleke went to the house of Munyai and started shooting randomly, injuring her and her 6-year-old son and killing her 82-year-old mother before setting the house on fire and fleeing.
There was an exchange of gun fire between the two officers.
Maluleke was arrested a week later by the directorate, appeared in court and denied bail.
“He remained in custody until Monday morning when he was convicted.
“The case has been postponed to August 28 at the same court,” Raburabu said.
Maluleke has appeared in court several times since his arrest.
His legal representatives presented his plea bargain in court on Monday, but he was still convicted.
Maluleke has since been dismissed from the SAPS following recommendations by Ipid, Raburabu added.
In July 2021, Independent Media reported that Maluleke had been denied bail by the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court, after being arrested on the charges of murder, attempted murder and arson.
Raburabu added that the Ipid executive director, Dikeledi Ntlatseng, had expressed appreciation to all the investigators involved in the investigation of the matter.
The arrests of police officers have become regular in the country in recent years.
In February six officers from the Boksburg North police station were arrested to face charges of copper theft and defeating the ends of justice.
Four are still facing charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice. They allegedly assaulted a Nigerian man, putting him into a coma.
Pretoria News