New investigator appointed to Pistorius case

2/22/2013

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — South African police appointed a new chief investigator Thursday in the Oscar Pistorius

murder case, replacing a veteran detective after unsettling revelations

that the officer was charged with seven counts of attempted murder.

The

sensational twist in the state's troubled investigation fueled growing

public fascination with the case against the double-amputee Olympian,

who is charged with premeditated murder in the Valentine's Day slaying

of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius,

a sporting icon and source of inspiration to millions until the

shooting last week, is backed by a high-powered team of lawyers and

publicists. The abruptness of his fall, and its gruesome circumstances,

have gripped a global audience and put South Africa's police and

judicial system under the spotlight.

The man at the center of the

storm sat in the dock during his bail hearing, mostly keeping his

composure in contrast to slumped-over outbursts of weeping on previous

days in court. In front of Pistorius, defense

lawyer Barry Roux pounced on the apparent disarray in the state's case,

laying out arguments that amounted to a test run for the full trial yet

to come.

Roux pointed to what he called the "poor quality" of the state's investigation and raised the matter of intent, saying Pistorius and Steenkamp had a "loving relationship" and the athlete had no motive to plan her killing.

Pistorius,

26, says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he shot her through a

locked bathroom door in his home. Prosecutors believe the shooting

happened after the couple got into an argument, and prosecutor Gerrie

Nel painted a picture of a man he said was "willing and ready to fire

and kill."

Much of the drama Thursday, however, happened outside

the courtroom as South African police scrambled to get their

investigation on track.

In a news conference at a training

academy, National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega said a senior

detective would gather a team of "highly skilled and experienced"

officers to investigate the killing of 29-year-old Steenkamp, a model

and budding reality TV contestant.

The decision to put police Lt.

Gen. Vinesh Moonoo in charge came soon after word emerged that the

initial chief investigator, Hilton Botha, is facing attempted murder

charges, and a day after he offered testimony damaging to the

prosecution.

Botha acknowledged Wednesday in court that nothing in Pistorius'

version of the fatal shooting contradicted what police had discovered,

even though there have been some discrepancies. Botha also said that

police left a 9 mm slug in the toilet and lost track of allegedly

illegal ammunition found in Pistorius' home.

"This matter shall receive attention at the national level," Phiyega told reporters after testimony ended in the third day of Pistorius' bail hearing.

Bulewa

Makeke, spokeswoman for South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority,

said the attempted murder charges had been reinstated against Botha on

Feb. 4. Police say they found out about it after Botha testified in Pistorius' bail hearing Wednesday.

Botha

and two other police officers had seven counts of attempted murder

reinstated against them in connection with a 2011 shooting incident in

which they allegedly fired shots at a minibus they were trying to stop.

Makeke

indicated the charges were reinstated because more evidence had been

gathered. She said the charge against Botha was initially dropped

"because there was not enough evidence at the time."

Pistorius'

main sponsor, Nike, meanwhile, suspended its contract with the multiple

Paralympic champion, following eyewear manufacturer Oakley's decision

to suspend its sponsorship. Nike said in a statement on its website: "We

believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

On Thursday, Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair asked the defense regarding Pistorius' bail application: "Do you think there will be some level of shock if the accused is released?"

Defense lawyer Roux responded: "I think there will be a level of shock in this country if he is not released."

Prosecutor Nel suggested signs of remorse from Pistorius had nothing to do with whether he planned to kill his girlfriend.

"Even

if you plan a murder, you plan a murder and shoot. If you fire the

shot, you have remorse. Remorse might kick in immediately," Nel said.

As Nel summed up the prosecution's case opposing bail, Pistorius began to weep in the crowded courtroom, leading his brother, Carl Pistorius, to reach out and touch his back.

"He (Pistorius) wants to continue with his life like this never happened," Nel went on, prompting Pistorius, who was crying softly, to shake his head.

"The reason you fire four shots is to kill," Nel persisted.

Earlier Thursday, Nair questioned Botha over delays in processing records from phones found in Pistorius' house following the slaying.

"It seems to me like there was a lack of urgency," the magistrate said.

Botha

is to appear in court in May to face seven counts of attempted murder

in connection with the minibus shooting incident. He has been quoted in

the South African media as denying allegations he was drunk at the time,

saying he and the other officers were trying to stop the vehicle and

didn't know there were people inside.

While Botha has been dropped from the Pistorius

investigation, he has not been suspended from the police force, Phiyega

said, and could still be called by defense lawyers at trial.

Pistorius,

wearing the same gray suit, blue shirt and gray tie combination he has

worn throughout the bail hearing, stood ramrod straight in the dock,

then sat calmly looking at his hands.

Roux said an autopsy showed

that Steenkamp's bladder was empty, suggesting she had gone to the

bathroom to use the toilet, rather than fled there to escape an enraged Pistorius, as prosecutors contend.

"The known forensics is consistent" with Pistorius' statement, Roux said, asking that bail restrictions be eased for his client.

But the prosecutor said Pistorius

hadn't given guarantees to the court that he wouldn't leave the country

if he was facing a life sentence. Nel also stressed that Pistorius shouldn't be given special treatment.

"'I am Oscar Pistorius. I am a world-renowned athlete.' Is that a special circumstance? No," Nel said. "His version (of the killing) is improbable."

Nel said the court should focus on the "murder of the defenseless woman."

Botha testified Thursday that he investigated a 2009 complaint against Pistorius by a woman who said the athlete assaulted her. However, Pistorius did not hurt the woman, who in fact injured herself when she kicked a door at Pistorius' home, Botha said.