The trial of three Eldorado Park police officers accused in the killing of Nathaniel Julies resumed at the high court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court last week.
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Caylene Whiteboy, Simon Scorpion Ndyalivana and Vorster Netshiongolo are facing charges of murder, discharging a firearm in public, possession of ammunition, and defeating the course of justice.
The matter has been dragging for almost two years now and the accused were granted bail last year. It stalled again for months this year following the passing of Judge Ramarumo Monama in February.
Advocate Cassim Ismail Moosa has since taken over and is currently presiding over the trial.
Kicking off last week’s proceedings was the prosecutor refreshing witnesses on where they left off when the trial was adjourned early this year.
On day two, Captain Mokibelo Malatji took to the witness stand and told the court that Constable Whiteboy had not been issued with a state firearm since coming from the police training college.
He explained that members are required to bring applications for a firearm when they join the service.
One of the requirements is for them to have a safe at home and once that is confirmed, the application can be processed and approved.
ALSO READ: Witness tells court how Nathaniel was shot and put at the back of a police van
According to previous witnesses, Constable Whiteboy is the one who allegedly pulled the trigger.
The second witness to take to the witness box was a Visible Policing commander who was in charge of deployment on the night of the fatal shooting.
Unlike when the matter started in Protea two years ago, public and media interest seems to have diminished judging by the empty court room.
16 year old Nathaniel Julies was killed in August 2020 allegedly at the hands of police officers from the Eldorado Park SAPS.
ALSO READ: Pretrial postponement in the Nathaniel Julies case
His death sparked a national outcry with residents calling for the overhaul of the whole police force in the area.
They marched to the police station and barricaded roads with stones and burning tyres.
The incident caught the attention of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate which promptly dispatched an investigator to look into the issue.
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