Police officer sentenced to 10 years following deadly tavern brawl

An Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigation has led to the jailing of a Eastern Cape police officer in the Ngqeleni Regional Court for a murder he committed in February 2017.

“The deceased had a quarrel with the sentenced police official and a fight ensued at a local tavern,” IPID’s director of communication and marketing, Ndileka Cola, said in a statement on Friday.

Patrons at the tavern managed to stop the fight but the officer, after discovering he had been stabbed, returned to the tavern to settle the score.

“He found the deceased standing outside the gate of the tavern and shot him dead and after that he left the scene with a police van”.

IPID investigated the case and made recommendations to the police and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“The police conceded with the IPID recommendations, found the member guilty and he was dismissed last year.

“The NPA also conceded with IPID’s findings and the police official was criminally charged, successfully prosecuted, found guilty and sentenced,” Cola said.

IPID said it would continue to execute its constitutional mandate to ensure that justice for all was served.

News24 Wire

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